The Crimson Letter
by SailorChibi
Summary: A new world, where there is no Voldemort? Surely, Harry's dream come true. Wrong. Especially when he discovers that Voldemort is very much alive and as evil as ever, is a teacher at Hogwarts, and no one knows but him. HG, post OotP
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer:** I do not own the characters you recognize; they are the property of J.K. Rowling and I am just borrowing them for a bit. Any similarities to any other Harry Potter fanfiction are purely coincidental.

**A/N:** This is a re-write of a story I posted a long time ago and never finished, which I then eventually lost due to a computer crash. Because of that, I suspect there won't be much similarity between the two, as I barely recall how that first story was supposed to end. Still, I thought it was worth the heads-up, just in case anyone found it seems slightly familiar.

* * *

"Sirius! No! Get him – save him – he's there, just gone through! NO! SIRIUS!"

Harry Potter woke abruptly, slammed into consciousness by the horrific image of seeing his godfather plunge through the veil. He rose halfway up on the bed, gasping for breath, alarmed by the fresh pain that had seared through him at seeing Sirius' death happen all over again. Then he dropped back, wincing as a crest of pain slammed into his head with all the force of a tidal wave. It was even worse than the headaches he got after Voldemort had been messing about his mind. His hand flew to his head, searching for the familiar imprint upon his forehead in hopes of relieving the pain. When he failed to find it, he settled for resting his hand on the fringe of his hair, shielding his eyes from the bright light.

Belatedly, he became aware of a murmur of voices, and turned his head ever so slightly. Without his glasses, he was unable to make out anything more than a few differently coloured blobs that he suspected were people. His heart rate sped up slightly and he drew in a deep breath, trying to keep calm. When he'd gone to sleep, it had been in the Dursley's small bedroom, with only Hedwig and his parent's photo album for company. Now it appeared that he woken up somewhere else. The question was, was he with friends or foes?

"Who are you?" he asked roughly through the pain, wishing it didn't have to be quite so strong. With his free hand, he groped for his pocket. Panic flickered through him when he realized his wand was no longer on him. "Where am I? What have you done with my wand?"

"Harry, dear, relax," a soft voice said. "Allow Madame Pomfrey to look you over, okay?"

It was unusual for anyone to call him 'dear' – the voice certainly didn't belong to Molly Weasley, who was the only one who did – but Harry nevertheless relaxed. He knew Madame Pomfrey well, and if she was around, he knew that Professor Dumbledore couldn't be far behind. Now that he was sure that he was safe, Harry allowed his head to fall back on the pillow and closed his eyes. It was a relief not to be faced with the lights. He could hear someone moving to stand beside the bed. Murmured incantations followed, and he felt the familiar tingle of several scans being done.

"Here, Mr. Potter, drink this," Madame Pomfrey directed finally. A vial touched his lips and he drank slowly, wincing at the acidic taste. The pain in his head lessened immediately, although it did not go away entirely. Pomfrey continued to encourage him with various vials; Harry obediently took from them all, growing more concerned with each one. Just what had he been through that he needed so many? Had there been some kind of attack? Were the Dursley's alright? He may have hated his so-called family, but he had no desire to see them tortured or killed, and he had no doubt that the Death Eaters would have done exactly that.

"What's going on?" he croaked at last, feeling well enough to rise into a seated position. He dreaded finding out what had happened and steeled himself before asking, "Was it Voldemort?"

"Who's Voldemort?" someone whispered.

Harry's eyebrows rose and he was pretty sure he looked dumbfounded. _Who's Voldemort_? Had he really just listened to someone say that? He desperately hoped that he wasn't with some Ministry official who was going to begin interrogating him the way Fudge always did. But still, even if Fudge and the Ministry didn't like to acknowledge the truth, they still knew who Voldemort _was_. It was impossible not to know. Surely, he had misheard.

"Here," the voice that had spoken to him the first time said, and his glasses were very gently slid onto his nose. He blinked several times and adjusted the glasses on his own, mentally noticing that they needed to be cleaned, before he glanced up. His jaw dropped. Standing directly in front of him was a slender woman about Hermione's height. Her hair cascaded over her shoulders in auburn waves, and there was a concerned look in her brilliant, emerald green eyes. No one had those eyes except Harry. And...

"Who the fuck are you?" Harry yelled, jerking backwards from her. Lily Potter straightened, a shocked and hurt expression on her face. She took a step backwards from the bed, clearly realizing that Harry had no desire to be anywhere near her.

"Language, Harry," said a stern voice. Harry looked on in pure disbelief as a tall man with messy black hair and warm brown eyes gently placed a hand on Lily's shoulder. Her face filled with gratitude and she leaned back against him, staring at Harry sadly. "You may not know her, but that does not give you the right to speak to your mother that way."

"My mother is dead," Harry hissed, fury spiralling through him. This was the lowest of the low; the cruellest trick Voldemort had ever deigned to pull on anyone. His gaze moved past the so-called Potters, to the familiar but strangely youthful face of Remus Lupin. Harry's heart turned over when he caught sight of Sirius Black, standing beside Remus, and he clenched his fists. Polyjuice Potion, it had to be, he'd make them sorry they had ever thought they could fool him in this way...

"Do calm down, Harry, James." Professor Dumbledore certainly knew how to make his presence known. He swept through the door wearing an eye-catching set of violet robes that complimented his silver hair. His appearance eased the tension in the room considerably, though Harry kept a wary gaze on the impersonators.

"I had hoped to be here when you awoke, but I was unavoidably detained," Dumbledore said. "I offer you my sincerest apologies for any confusion you have felt."

"Albus, he doesn't know us," said the one who looked like James Potter. His hand tightened on Lily's shoulder as he spoke.

"You knew that was a possibility, James. No one can control what occurs when the Imago Universitas spell is cast." Sweeping his eyes over the room, Dumbledore smiled sadly. "I believe some tea is in order before explanations can get underway."

Once everyone had a cup of tea and Dumbledore was seated in a plush chair he had transfigured for himself, he turned to Harry, who had been watching what Lily and James added to their tea out of the corner of his eye. Lily added two sugars, while James seemed to enjoy his with nothing. Harry looked away from them quickly when it dawned on him that he was also being watched, and he focused on Professor Dumbledore, silently pleading for an explanation that made sense.

"Harry, you seem to know me, but I will introduce myself anyway. I am Albus Dumbledore, Headmaster of the Hogwarts School for Witchcraft and Wizardry. And I am afraid that I must be the one to tell you that the world you believe you have known is completely untrue."

"Excuse me?" Harry said with disbelief.

"When you were less than a year old, you took a tumble down the stairs and struck your head," Dumbledore said simply, clearly unaware of how hard his words were hitting. "The resulting blow was strong enough to nearly kill you. In fact, if it weren't for Lily's quick thinking, you would be dead."

Harry shot a quick look in Lily's direction. She smiled tremulously, seemingly on the verge of tears. He wasn't quite sure where this was going. How could Dumbledore sit there and say that everything he knew wasn't true? He knew that Dumbledore had lied to him before, or at the very least, omitted some details of the truth, but to say that _everything_ was a lie? Was it possible that Death Eaters had gotten a hold of some of Dumbledore's hair?

"It is dangerous to use numerous healing spells or potions on a small child, even one with your natural aptitudes," Dumbledore continued. "Yet your body clearly needed time to rest, something which one-year-olds are not very fond of." A smile crooked his face. "With that in mind, you were placed under the Lethargus spell. Essentially, you were put into a deep sleep, which would allow you the time you needed for your body's natural healing process to finish what our dear Madame Pomfrey began. It was only supposed to be for a few days."

"Supposed to be?" Harry echoed, picking up on the implication.

Dumbledore's brow furrowed, and he sighed. "Harry, on the fourth day, we went to wake you, and found that we couldn't. In spite of our combined efforts and the vast array of spells and potions that we used, nothing could awaken you from your sleep. As I said, it is dangerous to expose a young child to too much magic, because your magical core is not developed enough to protect you the way it is when you are older. We were afraid to attempt too much and end up causing irreversible damage." The flicker across Dumbledore's face indicated that this had been a greater fear than he was admitting to. "As the years passed, we tried every spell possible. Nothing worked. We didn't have – and still don't, unfortunately – an explanation as to why you remained unconscious."

This was all sounding rather far-fetched to Harry, and he cast a doubtful glance at Dumbledore. He thought carefully about this information, wishing that he had Hermione around to run it by, and gave himself a little pinch on the arm just to make sure he was awake. It hurt. So was there a chance that this could be true? But then, so far this explanation did nothing to account for the horrors he had lived through. Everything from the Dursley's to the Death Eaters to Voldemort in all of his forms. He eyed the group assembled before him, wondering where this was going.

"The best we could do for you was cast the Imago Universitas spell. The spell was created for people who have slipped into comas, so that they can keep up with the world around them. It builds a dream world based on the _real_ world, so that the person lives day to day, until such time that they awaken." Dumbledore finished his tea and set it down lightly. His next words appeared to disturb him. "We did not know if you would awaken, Harry, but we felt it best that you keep up – that your mind grow and expand within the confines of an imaginary world as your body and your magic grew in the real world. Naturally, your parents never gave up hope that you would awaken."

Harry looked past him to James and Lily, both of whom smiled at him. They certainly looked like the versions he had seen in the graveyard that night, but he was all too aware of the deceptive power of magic. He switched his gaze back to Dumbledore and said, "But what about Voldemort?"

"Who?"

"Voldemort. You know, the evil murderous bastard who has been trying to kill me for the past fifteen years of my life?" Harry said sarcastically, annoyed that he was still being treated like a child even by this Dumbledore. "The one who gave me this – " He stopped speaking, shocked. His fingers explored the skin on his forehead, seeking and failing to find the infamous curse scar that had marked him for all of his life. The one that couldn't be removed. "I need a mirror."

A woman Harry hadn't noticed until that point rose and obligingly handed him a mirror. Harry stared into it. He looked a bloody mess, to be quite honest. His face was paler than Draco Malfoy's, which really caused the dark circles under his eyes to stand out, and his hair was long, hanging nearly to his shoulders, although it had been recently washed. Carefully, he brushed aside his bangs and searched every inch of his unblemished forehead for the familiar lightning bolt. It wasn't there. His skin felt smooth and soft, and it was clear that he had actually never been wounded there. Even the strongest glamour wouldn't hide that scar – he knew that for a fact. Harry lowered the mirror slowly, feeling more stunned by this revelation than by anything else he had been told.

"Harry, I'm not sure who this Voldemort is, but in the real world he does not exist," Dumbledore stated firmly, his twinkling blue eyes filled with concern. "Though at some point, I would like to know who he was and what kind of presence he occupied in your world."

Harry cast him a bitter smile. "No, you don't," he said quietly, still rocked by the realization that what Dumbledore was saying might be true.

"Albus, why would Harry's dream world be so different from the real world?" Lily asked quietly. "When Harry awoke, he was crying about Sirius having gone through something... It was dreadful," she added, her emerald eyes brimming with tears. "What kind of world did you live in?"

"A horrible one," said Harry flatly.

"Lily, my dear, no one knows what the results of the Imago Universitas will be. I never could have imagined that Harry would experience something like that." Dumbledore appeared to be disturbed by what little he had been told about Voldemort. Harry found this amusing. Imagine if he described the full horror of everything that monster had done. "If I had, I surely would have reconsidered the use of the spell."

"But why are they so different?" James repeated.

Dumbledore sighed and rotated his tea cup. It was the first time Harry had seen the headmaster look fidgety. "Everyone makes different decisions for different reasons, James," he said at last. "The smallest decision can have an immense impact on the world. In this case, I suspect at some point someone made one such decision, and it caused Harry's world to completely change to reflect that. The past, future, present... they are even more connected within the realm of a dream world than they are in the real world. But I understand what you are asking, and as for why the two worlds are so _dramatically_ different, it could be the reaction caused by the combination of the Imago Universitas spell and the Lethargus spell." He frowned deeply. "As I stated, the Imago Universitas was originally created for those suffering from a natural sleep, not a magically induced one. Although they have never before been combined, even I could not have expected such an unusual outcome."

"So what you're saying is, everything I've known for the past fourteen years has been a lie," Harry said sceptically. He looked at Dumbledore doubtfully, unsure of how to put his confusion into words. "Sir, do you mind if I ask for – well..."

"You need proof," Dumbledore said, understanding mixed with sadness dawning on his face. "Of course, Harry. I will do anything that I can."

Harry thought for a minute. He was pretty sure that they had been sitting there for over an hour, and no one had taken any Polyjuice Potion. Of course, they _had_ drunk tea, and judging by the easy way Crouch had swigged Polyjuice Potion during his fourth year, one could somehow get used to that dreadful taste, so that didn't really give much in terms of proof. He dropped his chin into his hands and thought hard. Normally he would simply ask a question about the Chamber or Sirius, but then those hadn't happened, and so there wasn't much this Dumbledore would know that he could ask, but... Suddenly, his mind alighted on an idea and he smiled broadly.

"Sir, could I ask you to do the Patronus charm?" he asked. He knew from Hermione's research that - even though it was rare and usually due to a life changing event - although patronuses could change, few people had a magical animal as a patronus the way Dumbledore did. Furthermore, no one else he had ever heard of had a phoenix. If the Dumbledore in front of him could produce the kind of patronus he was thinking of, then... well, he didn't know what he would do.

"Certainly, Harry." Drawing a wand from within his sleeves, Dumbledore rose. His smile widened as he spoke, his voice resounding around the small room. "_Expecto Patronum_!"

Silvery white mist sprayed from the end of Dumbledore's wand, spreading throughout the room. Harry closed his eyes briefly as it swept over him; it wasn't at all like he had expected. Instead of being cold or wet, he felt an inexplicable warmth that spread through his entire body, and he realized he was feeling the remnants of the happy memory Dumbledore had thought of in order to conjure the patronus. Harry opened his eyes and gazed upwards, already knowing what he would see. The ghostly image of a phoenix that looked remarkably like Fawkes soared in circles near the ceiling, searching for Dementors to chase away. When the patronus failed to find danger, it flew down to Dumbledore, inclined its head towards him, and faded away.

Harry didn't know what to say. He was in shock. Was it possible that everything he had struggled with during the past fourteen years hadn't really happened at all? Voldemort wasn't dead, but instead, had never existed. This world was clean, untouched, and completely pure. It was like being given the best, most wonderful gift that he had ever imagined, except even better, because never in his wildest dreams had he ever expected this. His eyes filled slowly with tears and he shut them tightly, trying to get a handle on himself.

"Harry," Lily said gently, clearly seeing how much her son was struggling. "It's alright. I know this is a difficult thing to accept, and – "

She was cut off when Harry lifted his head and looked around desperately, suddenly realizing the biggest change of all. His eyes locked onto Sirius, and for the first time since he had awoken, he allowed himself to really inspect the man. This Sirius appeared to be in his late thirties, but he was still an extremely handsome man, with long hair so dark it almost appeared blue under the light. His slate gray eyes gazed at Harry warmly, though there was a worried frown curling his lips. He certainly did not look as though he'd suffered years in prison, nor did he seem like the kind of person who was carrying several years' worth of betrayal and Azkaban memories around.

"Sirius!" he cried, launching himself off of the bed unexpectedly.

Sirius looked shocked, but he managed to rise in time to catch the teen. Harry threw his arms around Sirius and buried his head into Sirius' robes, feeling his whole body shake with sobs. He could tell that Sirius was startled by his actions, and he suspected that Lily and James were disappointed he hadn't gone to them first, but he couldn't help himself. It felt so good to hold onto his godfather and know that it wasn't a dream. Seeing Sirius' death had been one of the worst things he had ever gone through. It was the first time he could remember watching someone who truly loved him die. And now, to find out that it hadn't happened at all...

Needless to say, it was some time before Harry could convince himself to release his godfather. Sirius held him tightly the whole time, only letting go when he was certain that it was what Harry wanted. Harry gazed up at him, still feeling the moisture at the corners of his eyes, but refusing to cry any more. There was no need for it now, and he had shed enough tears over Sirius in the past. Sirius was _here_, in front of him, and so was Remus and his parents, and not only was there was no present danger, there had never been a past danger.

It was too much to take in. Harry could feel his legs weakening beneath him as the world began to spin in front of his eyes, and he would've fallen had Sirius not been in front of him. The man grabbed him quickly, supporting him before he could collapse. Harry leaned his head against Sirius' chest, wishing that the room would stop moving. His head began to more fiercely than it had before, the aches coming and going with the pounding of his heart.

"Lay him on the bed, Sirius," he distantly heard Pomfrey ordering. Then he was easily picked up and placed back on the bed, where Pomfrey began to fuss over him. Harry let her. He was content to lay still and gaze over her shoulder at everything that he had once thought he had lost.

* * *

Coming up: Harry discovers that everything in this new world is not as wonderful as it seems, and receives a mysterious message from a stranger who claims to be from the same world that Harry has been told never existed.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N:** Here's chapter two. I admit the reception on this wasn't quite as good as I had hoped, and if it doesn't get better I may scrap the idea entirely. I'm not trying to blackmail or be a review-whore, but it's rather difficult to work purely from memory, and I want to know if my time is better spent elsewhere on a story that _would_ be well received. So if that's not incentive to let me know if you enjoy the story, I don't know what is.

* * *

Harry awoke slowly, gradually feeling more alert as the effects of the Dreamless Sleep wore off. Momentarily confused, he briefly examined the room before the events of the day before returned to him. Sirius. His parents. Everything that he knew was nothing more than a dream. It still sounded extremely hard to believe, but a good night's sleep had made the difference. He was beginning to see how maybe Dumbledore could be right. It was just difficult to wrap his mind around the fact that a so-called dream world could be so realistic.

The door opened and Madame Pomfrey entered. She didn't seem surprised to see him awake, and Harry surmised that she had some sort of magical sensor on him that informed her. As she approached the bed, she placed a tray with several potions on it down on a stand. Then, she withdrew her wand and, flicking it in a complicated manoeuvre, murmured something under her breath.

"How are you feeling today, Mr. Potter?" she asked briskly, her wand still moving.

"I'm okay," Harry said, realizing it was the truth. "My head still hurts a little, especially when I try to move too fast, and I'm tired."

"That's to be expected. You had quite a shock yesterday." Clearly, she approved of whatever the scan had told her, because she gave a nod and then reached for a potion. "Here, drink this."

"Why do I have to drink so many?"

"It's a variety of things," Pomfrey answered, setting the potions in order. "For your headache, to help replenish your muscles, to give you a bit of extra strength, and to help keep you calm, to name a few. Now, we need to speak about what you can expect in the next few days."

"Where am I?" Harry thought to ask between potions. "Can I go home soon?"

"You're at Hogwarts." She seemed surprised by the question. "We keep you here during the year so that your mother and father can be close to you. We were just about to prepare to move you back home when you woke up. And I hope you will be able to go home soon, but that depends on how well you rest and how you are at following instructions." Her eyes narrowed. "If you're anything like your father, I'm guessing you're not."

Harry smiled sheepishly, choosing not to confirm her deduction. "What did you say? About what I can expect?"

"Ah, yes. You will feel somewhat weak for several days, and I doubt you will be able to walk for very long without needing a rest. In fact, I do not advise that you push yourself, at least at first. You'll need a full ten to twelve hours of sleep at night, and I will be sending some potions home for you to take. Your headache should go away at some point in the next day or two. I suspect it is some lingering aspect of finally being free from the grasp of both spells. If it doesn't, make sure to let me know.

"You should know that you won't be able to eat much at first. You'll have to take meals slowly as your body readjusts to eating again. You'll be eating several smaller snacks during the day as opposed to the three meals you're used to; I'll be sending a list home with your parents. You'll become full very quickly, as your stomach is very small now. That's another reason for you to take those potions. It would be a painful and long process otherwise. There is also a potion to help your stomach readjust to absorbing food again."

"Guess I better get used to the taste, then," Harry said with a shudder, setting the last vial on the tray. It sounded complicated, and he didn't think he'd be catching a ride on his Firebolt anytime soon. His breath caught at the realization. He didn't _have_ his Firebolt anymore. Before he could get too deep into his melancholy, the door opened again. Pomfrey rose as Sirius, flanked by Remus and two women he didn't recognize, entered.

"I'll be back to check on you later, Harry," Pomfrey said, heading for the door. Remus stepped outside with her, and Harry suspected that the man was being updated on his condition.

"How you feeling today, Harry?" asked one of the women.

"Not too bad. Better than yesterday," he said, remembering the way he had collapsed with an embarrassed flush. He didn't even recall everyone leaving afterwards. "Where's – um – "

"Lily and James?" Remus supplied, re-entering the room. He smiled warmly at Harry, who returned the gesture happily. "They're coming along a bit later. Lily felt that since you recognized Sirius and me, it might be better to give you a chance to be alone with us for a while first."

"Oh," Harry said, feeling an unexpected twinge of love for the woman who so clearly put his own needs ahead of her own. He regretted not being able to call them Mum and Dad, and made a note to do so at the first opportunity. "I'm sorry, but I don't recognize you," he added, gazing at the two women.

"You know him and you don't know me?" said one incredulously, jerking her thumb in Sirius' direction. "Boy, did you get the wrong end of the stick."

"Harry, this is my lovely _younger_ sibling, Orion Lee Black," Sirius said wryly.

"I've told you before, two minutes doesn't count," Orion countered, frowning. Harry regarded her with amazement. Now that he knew what he was looking for, he could see the similarities between her and Sirius. Both of them had the blue-black hair that appeared to be as straight as a pin, though Orion's hung nearly to her waist, and there was also something about their faces that spoke of a family resemblance. But where Sirius had gray eyes, Orion had sky blue eyes. She was quite beautiful, and together, she and Sirius made a striking pair.

"I didn't know Sirius had a twin," Harry said slowly, wondering what happened to Orion in his dream world. Considering the nature of the House of Black, he wasn't entirely sure he wanted to know. "Are you my godmother?"

"That would be me," said the second woman in the room. Harry glanced at her. She had curly blonde hair that was cropped to her shoulders and warm, dark green eyes. He could tell that she wasn't as physically attractive as Orion, but there was warmth in her smile that appealed to him immediately. "I'm Arabella Figg."

Harry started. "I guess I know you after all," he said in surprise, struggling to link the elderly Mrs. Figg with the million cats to the neat, fashionable woman standing before him. She was dressed in a set of deep green robes that drew attention to her eyes. "Except you were much older."

"I hope I aged well," Arabella joked, leaning against Remus.

"Kind of," Harry said hesitantly. "You were a squib."

"Really?" Sirius said with amusement, smirking at Arabella. She rolled her eyes and clapped him on the back of the head. Sirius yelped.

"I'm not a squib, Harry," she said kindly, clearly knowing what he was thinking. "What else was different in your dream world?"

"Everything. I can't believe how peaceful it is here." As he spoke, a house elf appeared in the room bearing a tray loaded down with food. It placed the food on a table, bowed once, and vanished. Harry hadn't even realized how hungry he was until he saw the steaming food. His mouth watered. By all counts, his last meal had been over fourteen years ago, and he was more than ready to make up for it.

He was annoyed to find that Pomfrey had been correct and that he wasn't able to eat anything near what he had been able to consume before. Although he was full, the food left on his plate was still tempting, and he finally had to push the plate away in disgust. His meal was finished long before the others were done, and so Harry lay back on the bed and listened to them chat, keeping his gaze fixed on Sirius with only occasional glimpses at the others. Part of him still worried that his godfather was going to disappear at any moment.

"You don't have to pin me to the wall, pup," Sirius said, as though he'd heard what Harry was thinking. "I'm not going anywhere."

Harry just smiled sadly. The last time he'd heard that, Sirius had gone through the veil, never to return. He wasn't about to take anyone for granted in this new world. It was for that reason that when the door swung open and Lily and James entered, Harry got up and went over to them. Both of them tensed as he approached. Harry didn't blame them. He felt stiff himself. It had been one thing to embrace Sirius, even Remus. But he'd never hugged his parents before that he could remember. What did one _do_? Would it be like a smothering embrace from Mrs Weasley, or –

He didn't get the chance to finish that thought. Releasing a choked sob, Lily reached out and threw her arms around him, pulling him close. Harry went willingly, folding into her embrace as tears filled his eyes. How long had he been waiting for this moment, when his mother was able to hug him?

Although he was unaware of the people moving around him and Lily, when his head rose, he discovered the room had been emptied and that he and his mother were alone. Lily led him to the bed and helped him to sit, and Harry wondered if she could tell that he had started to feel unsteady. He sat down beside her on the bed and wiped at his eyes, feeling shaky. A mother's embrace, he had discovered, was a wonderful thing. Never before had he felt such a unique combination of strength and gentleness.

"My dear Harry," Lily said softly, her eyes shining as she lovingly ran her fingers through his hair. "I've waited so long to be able to see you again."

"I'm sorry."

"Don't be sorry. It's not your fault," she said immediately, her gaze fierce. "I only wish that Orion and I had had a chance to do more research on the spells." She sighed and shook her head, absently continuing the stroking. "You were just so young. Just a baby, really. We had no idea what the spell would do. I'm the one who is sorry, Harry. I should have protested when Albus suggested it."

"You had no idea, Mum." Harry tasted the word awkwardly, but knew from the luminous smile that Lily gave him that he had been right to use it. "Dumbledore's ideas are usually for the best. And hey, maybe I did have to live in some fucked up world, but at least I got to come out of it and be here with you."

Lily laughed through her tears. "Oh, you sound just like your father," she murmured, pulling him close. He was too big to fit into her lap, but she drew him down until his head was in her lap. "I just regret all of the time we lost. But I'm so happy that we have a future."

Harry looked up at her, reading the strain in her face, and realized that for a long time his family had been unsure of whether or not he would even have a future. He was incredibly glad that they hadn't given up on him and said so. Lily smiled down at him with a loving gaze, as though to say that there had never been any question. He didn't want to explain that he had spent the first ten years of his life with people who would've gladly tossed him away for anything and instead closed his eyes, savouring the feeling of being rocked by his mother for the first time that he could remember.

Slowly, he became aware of another presence having joined them in the room. James Potter smiled sadly down at his son, from the position he had taken at the end of the bed. He seemed to sense that Harry was somewhat more uncomfortable around him than Lily, and appeared willing to keep his distance. Harry was grateful as Lily helped him to sit up, though she kept her arms around him. She smelled wonderful, like chocolate and raspberries, and he knew that he would remember her scent forever.

"Hello there, Harry," James said quietly. "How are you today?"

"I'm good," Harry said, looking at him closely. There was no hint of the rambunctious teenager whom Snape had hated and Remus and Sirius had defended. Had this version of his father ever been so cruel? He realized that James had asked him a question and blushed. "Sorry, what did you say?"

"I said, what is it you like to do?"

Harry was momentarily stumped by the question. It was such an ordinary question, but it made him sad to know that his parents had to ask. "I like to fly," he said, omitting the fact that he hadn't been able to do so for quite some time, and wondering if it would be any different in the real world as opposed to his dream world. He felt another wave of longing for his beloved Firebolt.

"Really?" James' eyes lit up and a broad grin spread across his face.

Lily laughed quietly. "You've just made your father's dreams come true," she remarked. "For as long as I can remember, he's prayed you would be a flyer."

"I was on the Quidditch Team in my world," Harry said proudly. "I was a seeker in my first year."

"Really?" James said again, looking interested. "Seeker, eh? I hope you were a Gryffindor."

"Of course!"

"So how did that happen?"

Harry began to tell them the story, but before long, he became embarrassed. Here he was, talking about things that had never even happened. He wasn't on the Gryffindor Quidditch Team anymore; he had never even been on the team in the first place, for that matter. The story of how he'd become the youngest seeker was nothing more than a fantasy. As he finished, he stared down at the bed, feeling the heat in his cheeks. There was nothing to tell about his life that his parents didn't know because he hadn't truly lived anything.

"I knew you'd be a flyer," James said suddenly, and grabbed him in a hug.

Startled, Harry hugged him back before he was really aware of what he was doing. He was surprised by how different it felt from Sirius' and Remus' hugs. Whether or not it was true, he'd always felt that he had to make them proud of him. With James, he felt as though his father was already proud, no matter what he had done. It was an odd feeling and Harry closed his eyes, trying to savour it. Still, he couldn't keep his mouth shut.

"I'm not really, though."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, I've never really flown before," Harry said, pulling back slightly. "I've only ever done it in my dream world, which never happened, right? So none of it matters. I'm not a flyer."

"Oh, Harry," Lily said, leaning over so that she could gently brush a strand of hair out of his eyes. "That's not true. Just because your dream world didn't technically happen doesn't mean it's not real to you and to us. We want to hear all about it. It was your world, your childhood, your youth. You don't have to throw it away just because you woke up. It's your past and we're proud of you for everything you did during it."

Harry swallowed hard, soaking in the words. He didn't necessarily believe them, but they were a balm to everything he'd ever had to endure at the Dursley's house. "I had your map," he said, gazing at James. "And your cloak."

James grinned. "Excellent. I hope you got into scads of trouble."

"James!" Lily swatted him. "Don't encourage that kind of behaviour."

"I didn't get into too much trouble," Harry claimed, catching his father's eye behind his mother's back. James winked at him and Harry smiled.

"Is there anything you'd like to do, Harry?" Lily asked, taking a sip of the pumpkin juice left behind from their breakfast. She made a face and took out her wand to cast a cooling charm.

"I want to go home," he said, sounding rather childish. He longed to know what a real home was like. The Weasley's had always been wonderful to him, and it was true that he'd often felt like a member of their family, but he wanted to truly belong somewhere more than anything else. A place where he would never feel out of sorts, where he would know that he could return no matter what.

"Of course, Harry. We'll try to get you to Potter Pound as soon as we can. The moment Madame Pomfrey gives the word," Lily promised.

"Potter _Pound_?" Harry asked curiously.

Lily rolled her eyes. "You can think your godfather for that one," she said, trying her best to sound cross but actually sounding rather amused. "I should've known better than to send him and James to connect our house up to the Floo Network without supervision."

"Sirius says that Lily attracts strays," James explained. "After that, the name just stuck."

Harry smiled, remembering their Animagus forms. "I see," he said, trying hard not to laugh. It sounded very much like something Sirius would come up with.

"Anything else?" Lily cast a warming charm and handed him a couple of pieces of toast. He ate them slowly, trying to run down the mental list of the variety of things that he wanted to do. There was so much and so many questions he wanted to ask, he didn't know what to do first.

"I'd like to see my friends," he said finally. "Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger."

Both of his parents looked surprised, and Lily shot a quick glance at James before she said, "If you'd like to, Harry, then I can ask them to meet with you at some point soon. We're going to have a party when you're home and feeling healthy enough to celebrate, but if you want to meet them before that, I can certainly arrange it."

He nodded, finishing the toast and accepting a small glass of re-chilled pumpkin juice. "I hope I can get out of here soon."

"Your wish may be granted, Mr. Potter," Madame Pomfrey said, entering the room unexpectedly. She had several more potions with her, and Harry grimaced as soon as he spotted them. A smile pulled at her lips. "You are recuperating at a much faster rate than I had expected. I'm amazed that you're still awake and functioning; a normal person would have passed out long ago from the stimulation and excitement." Her gaze was speculative as he obediently drank. "I feel that you may be ready to return home as soon as tomorrow."

"Really?" Harry said, looking up from a particularly icky green potion.

"Yes. Your mother has had some experience, and Arabella Figg is quite the experienced Healer at Saint Mungos. I would feel safe leaving you in their care, although of course I will still visit you every night in order to check to make sure you're still healing at the same rate. And I will expect you to take it easy." The sharpness of her glare as she spoke led Harry to wonder how she could know that he regularly ignored her advice. Did he wear some sort of sign around his neck that said so?

"Don't worry, Poppy," said Lily. "Arabella and I will make sure he's well taken care of."

"I trust you, Lily." Pomfrey nodded, making no mention of Arabella, and Harry glanced between them, curious. Lily cupped his cheek before she followed Pomfrey out of the room. Harry downed the last of the potions, shuddering at the sickly sweet taste of the last one.

James said, "There's always been a bit of sourness between Poppy and Mungos, Harry. I'm not sure exactly what happened, but she doesn't speak well of them. She likes Arabella, but I don't think she ever got over the fact that Arabella decided to join Mungos instead being Poppy's assistant here at Hogwarts."

Harry nodded, glad that he had no more potions to drink. He was feeling a bit tired, however, and he decided to stretch out on the bed. "Tell me about Potter Pound," he requested.

"It's a nice house," James said. "Quite large, with a nice yard. It's not the place we lived when you were a kid. We had to move when our family began to expand."

"What do you mean?"

"When we had more kids."

"I have siblings?"

"Yes." James was clearly amused by Harry's shock. "You have a sister who is thirteen, and a brother and sister who are eight – they're twins."

Harry was reeling from this new information. The concept of having siblings hadn't occurred to him in the slightest, and now he had three? His hunger to go home only increased. He couldn't wait to meet his siblings. "What are they like? What are the names? Do they know about me?"

James laughed. "Slow down, kiddo. Yes, they know about you, and though they've never met you, they've visited you several times. Your sister is named Aurelia Lily Potter, after your mother's grandmother. She mostly goes by Lia. The twins are Jonathon Michael Potter, after my father and Lily's father respectively, and Annabelle Sky Potter. Lia is a Ravenclaw and she's going into her third year, and the twins aren't old enough for Hogwarts yet."

"Wow," Harry muttered, trying to absorb this. "Does Lia like to fly?"

"Not really. She takes after your mother in that respect." James smirked. "But she can pull pranks with the best of them. Not surprising, considering that she's had Sirius as a guide." He reached into his pocket and pulled out what looked like a muggle wallet, which surprised Harry. "I've got some pictures if you want to see."

"Yes!" He snatched at them eagerly, devouring the tiny photos. Lia proved to be a short, slender girl with Lily's auburn hair and James' honey brown eyes. She was cute, but clearly shy, judging by the way her photo kept staring at the ground before darting nervous peeks up at him and waving a little. Harry was pleased to see that she was wearing a muggle tank top and jeans; it would've been strange to be around a family that dressed in wizarding robes all the time.

The photo of the twins showed them fighting with each other over cake, to the point where he had a bit of difficulty getting them to stand still long enough to get a good look. Jonathon had brown eyes and curly dark hair. Isabella had luminous green eyes and dark brown hair shaded with red. Harry couldn't help feeling an instant connection to her as he observed the glow in her eyes. Their innocence and youthful joy was a pleasure to behold, especially because he knew that it would never be destroyed by Voldemort.

"They're wonderful," he said softly, wondering if they would like him.

"So are you," Lily said into his ear. He jumped, have not heard her return to the room. Lily smiled and took the wallet from his hands, returning them to James. "Harry, we have to go now. Poppy says that you need to get some rest if you really do want to go home tomorrow."

"Alright." Much as he didn't want them to go, he couldn't deny that he was beginning to get more tired, and he briefly thought that perhaps Poppy had slipped a sleeping potion into the batch he'd drunk earlier. "Goodbye Mum, Dad."

"Goodbye, sweetheart. We'll come back to visit you later tonight, after you've had a while to rest. Sirius and Remus will too, I'm sure." Lily leaned down and kissed him on the forehead, directly where his curse scar would have been. Harry felt an odd chill shoot down his back and turned his head slightly when James did the same, so that his father would land on a different spot. The eerie sensation he felt ruined the normal contentment he would've gotten at being tucked in for the first time that he could remember by his parents.

"Could you open the window?" he asked. "It's a bit warm in here."

"Sure, Harry." James opened the latch and pushed the window up, allowing a cool breeze to sweep into the somewhat stuffy room. Then the two of them left, closing the door behind them, and Harry was alone to try and understand everything that he had learned that day. He gazed up at the ceiling and closed his eyes, then realized that in spite of how tired he was, his mind was racing too much to even think about sleeping.

After several minutes of trying to fall asleep without any luck, Harry got up and walked over to the window. For the first time, he saw something that was completely familiar to him: the sight of the Hogwarts Quidditch Patch. He could see a couple of people flying around on it, which surprised him seeing as how it was the middle of summer and all of the students has returned home. The image of Professor Dumbledore and McGonagall and Snape playing Quidditch flickered across his mind and he smirked, leaning on the window sill with more interest. Whoever was playing wasn't that good, that was for sure. The shaky grasps they had on their brooms was evident even from the distance he was at.

He was almost asleep against the wall when he became aware of something flying towards the castle – at his window, to be exact. Harry stumbled backwards and tripped, landing hard on his arse as an owl soared into the room. The small gray creature hooted angrily at the ruckus and landed on his knee, claws pinching painfully. Wincing, Harry grabbed for it with gentle fingers just before it was about to take off and unwound the string that had tied a letter to its leg. Immediately the owl leapt free of his fingers, swatting his hair and face with its wings before it uttered one more hoot and disappeared out the window. Harry sat up in time to watch it vanish into a swarm of dark gray storm clouds that had gathered near the castle.

"Bloody bird," he muttered, relieved that Madame Pomfrey hadn't heard him fall. He stood up, wincing as his head protested the movement, and closed the shutters as the first bits of rain struck the ground. It was a comforting sound that he was well acquainted with and he shut his eyes for a moment as he sat back down on his bed. For a moment, it was like nothing had changed.

The heavy parchment crinkled between his fingers, and Harry gazed down at it. The rich creamy color offered no clues, and nor did the delicate writing of his name on the front in black ink. It looked distinctly feminine in nature, but he couldn't be sure about that. Wizards could do just about anything with magic, and he wouldn't have been surprised if there was a spell to change handwriting. He wasn't quite sure he should open it at first.

"I'm not in a dangerous world anymore," he told himself firmly. "There's no one here who would want to hurt me." It was a new thought, and he was still mulling it over when he slit the envelope and winced as a paper cut blossomed on his index finger. "Ow!"

Sticking the injured digit into his mouth, he pulled the sole piece of parchment out and froze as a distinct scent was released along with it. It smelled like something he couldn't quite put his finger on, yet which was rather familiar. He was certain that he had smelled it before, but he couldn't place it. The scent niggled at his mind, trying to jolt him into memory. It was a pleasant scent, heady but not too fragrant, and he lifted the parchment to his nose to breathe it in again. Undoubtedly it had been spelled to hold the scent, because otherwise it would have dissipated long ago.

Harry spent several moments trying to place the scent without any luck. He finally turned the parchment over and looked down at the neat writing. There were only a few lines, but it took him a long time to understand it. And when he did, he read it over and over again, struggling to comprehend the magnitude of what he was being told. His heart sank like a stone and his hands began to shake.

_Harry,_

_I hope Evangeline was able to reach you, because the message she is carrying is extremely important. Harry, I am from your world, the world that everyone has told you was just a dream. It's not true. This world is the lie and you must not allow yourself to fall prey to it, or Voldemort will win. I know you are stronger than this._

Below that, filling up the entire bottom half of the page like a signature, was the drawing of a crimson phoenix.

* * *

Evangeline means "messenger of good news", which I thought was rather ironic and amusing. This chapter was over five thousand words, which is quite good for me. Do review!

Next chapter: Harry returns home and meets his siblings. He gets the opportunity to speak to James, and finds out more about the world he has awoken into. Then he gets an extremely surprising visitor whom he'd love nothing more to kill, and another clue as to who this mystery person is.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N:** I noticed after the fact that in the last chapter, I referred to Harry's youngest sister as both Isabella and Annabelle. Her name is Annabelle; it was originally Isabella but I changed it at the last minute and forgot I had mentioned her twice. This is quite a long chapter, and I'd like to say that Aurelia Lily Potter (Lia) and Orion Lee Black are my own creations, as is anyone else you don't recognize.

* * *

It was gratifying to see that the Hogwarts of the real world looked virtually identical to the one from his dream world. Harry stood in the midst of the Great Hall with his neck craned, gazing overhead at the beautiful blue sky. There wasn't a cloud in sight, and he couldn't help thinking that it was an ideal day for flying. The very idea, however, probably would have sent the hovering Madame Pomfrey into a conniption, so he wisely remained silent and instead continued to pretend he was avidly listening to her rather long-winded combination of instructions and scolding. She had caught him after he had snuck out of his room that morning and cornered him in the hall.

"And if you don't _follow_ what I have told you, Mr. Potter, I guarantee your recovery will be a very slow one."

"I promise to be good," Harry said, wondering if for once he would be able to follow through on that promise. "Can I go now? Please?"

"Just like your father," she said, amused. "Don't forget what I've told you, but yes, you may go. I'll be coming to see you tomorrow to make sure you're still doing well. Now, I trust you know the way to the Headmaster's office? Your parents are waiting for you there." She narrowed her eyes. "You're actually late because I had to track you down. If you had stayed in your room like you were supposed to, you would be gone by now."

Harry only vaguely registered the last of her words as he sprinted out of the room. Since he finally had the official agreement to do so, he was anxious to see his home for the first time. He ran the whole way to the Headmaster's office and was winded by the time he got there. For a minute, he leaned against the wall, struggling to draw in deep, even breaths, not wanting anyone to see him in such a state for fear they would make him stay longer. Although he felt fine mentally and magically, his physical body was having a difficult time keeping up with the demands he wanted to put on it.

The gargoyle leapt aside as soon as Harry looked up at it and he stepped forward onto the stair, shoving his hands into the pockets of his jeans. His right hand came into contact with a slightly crumpled piece of parchment and he winced, immediately jerking his hands free. Thoughts of the letter that he had received had kept him from napping at all, and he had been preoccupied during the evening visit from his parents. Only a Dreamless Sleep potion had forced him into bed for the night, but it was the first thing on his mind that morning.

Who was this person? Did he know them? Why had they chosen to contact him by letter and not in person? How was he to know if he could trust them? Fourteen years in a war-driven society had only given him a healthy amount of scepticism when it came to the unknown. The letter hadn't offered many details and that alone made him think it wasn't worth following up on or alerting anyone. After all, how could Voldemort win if he didn't even exist? It was entirely unlike the dark lord to remain hidden to the point where no one knew of his existence. There were just too many unanswered questions and no one he could direct them to. For the most part, he was ready to forget about it and move on. Well, that's what he _wanted_ to do.

And yet... he could not stop thoughts of the parchment from niggling at him. Someone had felt that the message was important enough to send to him. Whoever this person was, he or she knew about his dream world and – more importantly – knew about Voldemort. No one knew about him or the atrocities he had committed except Dumbledore, his parents, Sirius, Remus, Arabella and Orion, and he hadn't even given them any detail. Besides, somehow he didn't think one of them had sent the parchment; it would be easier to just talk to him in person.

The whole matter had been going around and around in his mind with no sign of a resolution. Even if he wanted to do something about it, he wasn't really sure what the letter writer expected him to do. He certainly didn't want to tell anyone about it, because he was worried that a fuss would be made of it, and that was the last thing he wanted. Harry was through worrying about Voldemort and Death Eaters and people dying. All he wanted was to live his life like a regular person with regular parents and a regular family.

"Harry!" Professor Dumbledore's voice came through the door as the stair finished moving. "Do enter, my boy, don't be shy."

"Sorry it took me so long," Harry began, pushing the door open. The room was filled with Dumbledore, his parents, Professor McGonagall, and, shockingly enough, Professor Snape. Harry stared at the man, who looked pretty much identical to the Snape that he remembered, sallow skin, greasy hair and all. The only question was, did this one hate his guts? This Snape didn't know him at all, but then, the Snape in his world had hated him just for being James' son. He tore his eyes away and finished with, "I, uh, was with Madame Pomfrey. She was giving me some last minute instructions."

"Quite alright, Harry. I imagine you're anxious to be off. Lemon drop?"

"No thanks." He sat down on the couch between Lily and James. James placed a hand on his shoulder and squeezed lightly. "How are we going?"

"We're going to Floo," Lily told him. "We're just waiting for the Floo network to finish setting up the connection. Albus doesn't have his office fully connected, and Poppy thought that it would be the easiest way for you to travel."

"Oh." That he wished they could fly, he didn't say, though it was certainly going through his mind. He knew, though, that it would be dangerous to climb on a broom when his hands still gave way to shaking at odd times, and his legs often felt like jelly beneath him. Another visit to Madame Pomfrey was the last thing he wanted.

The fire flared green, and a smartly dressed young wizard emerged. He tugged at his robes, nodded to them all, and said, "Headmaster, your fire has been connected."

"Thank you, Demetrius," Dumbledore said. "Lemon drop?"

"Don't mind if I do, Headmaster, thank you." Demetrius plucked a yellow drop from the canister, popped it into his mouth, and turned back to the flames, reaching into his pocket as he did. He drew forth a handful of glistening dust, which he tossed into the fire as he strode forward the practice of someone who did it twenty times a day. "Good day, everyone. _Ministry of Magic_!"

"Have you used the Floo Network, Harry?" Lily asked, straightening the front of her green sundress as she stood up. She looked at him with concern. "All you do is take a handful of powder, toss it in, and tell it where you want to go very clearly. You just have to say 'Potter Pound' and make sure to enunciate. Merlin knows where you could end up if you don't. James will go through first in case you have any problems."

"Okay," Harry said with a slight grimace, recalling his visit to Knockturn Alley in his first year. He'd never quite developed an appreciation for the Floo Network; as handy a way as it was to get around, it didn't agree with him at all and he usually felt a bit ill afterwards. Glumly, he watched as Dumbledore produced a small silver box which was full of Floo Powder. James took a handful, tossed it at the fire, and called out his destination before moving forward into the brief flare of green. Lily waited a minute, then placed her hand on Harry's shoulder and indicated the box.

"Your turn, Harry dear."

"Yes Mum." Harry dug his fingers into the fine powder and scooped some up. He held it loosely between his fingers and approached the fire, which seemed to spark and crackle menacingly. Behind him, he heard Lily speak.

"Albus, thank you so much for everything you've done. And you as well, Minerva, for keeping Harry here at Hogwarts for all these years. Severus, I appreciate your help in making the Potions that will give him strength." Lily's voice caught slightly. "I'm so glad that we're taking him home."

"We're glad for you, Lily," McGonagall said. Her voice was so tender that Harry glanced at her in surprise. Lily was smiling tremulously and McGonagall had placed a kind hand on her arm. Harry studied the two of them, realizing that the professor clearly adored her old student, and then glanced at Snape. The man wasn't looking at his mum, but by the tilt of his head, he was peering at her through the corner of his eye. "And for you as well, Harry. I'm looking forward to seeing you at Hogwarts this year."

"Thank you, Professor," he murmured. Turning back to the fire, he felt a pulse of excitement in spite of himself as he tossed down the powder and shouted, "_Potter Pound_!" before stepping forward. The fire caught him up into its grasp and flung him into a sea of rapidly moving people that were identifiable only as blurry shadows. Harry squeezed his eyes shut, spinning so fast that he became dizzy and his stomach began to protest, and was startled when his body was abruptly thrust forward out of the Network. He stumbled over the hearth and would've gone arse over heels had James not sprung forward to grip him by the shoulders.

"As good at this as your mother is, I see," James said, laughing as he righted his son. He made sure Harry was standing before he returned to the fireplace. "She's never caught on, either."

The fire roared again and out came Lily, who tripped just as Harry had. She would've fallen as well, but James was there with open arms. He caught his wife with practiced ease, spinning her around and placing her delicately on her feet. Lily closed her eyes and put a hand to her head, leaning against him briefly. Harry leaned against the wall as his stomach settled and watched them eagerly, absorbing the interaction between his parents.

"Must that Network be so bloody pushy?" Lily muttered.

"Language, darling. Ow!"

"Don't mock me, James Potter." Scowling, Lily pulled away from him and walked over to Harry, gently brushing the soot away from his hair and clothing. "How do you feel, Harry? Are you hungry? Poppy sent along some potions for you to drink, but you can take them later if you'd prefer."

"I am hungry," Harry admitted. Although he was eating several small meals a day, it seemed as though he felt constantly hungry. He hesitated briefly, then added, "My head hurts, too."

"Let's go down to the kitchen, then, and we'll get you a Headache Potion," James said, opening the door. Harry looked around the room they had landed in quickly. It appeared to be a study or library of sorts, for there were numerous bookshelves lining the walls – and each shelf was as stuffed with books as could be. There were also some plush looking armchairs scattered through the room. He smiled faintly, imagining Hermione's reaction if she could get just five minutes in the room. She would have an absolute field day. A wave of longing came over him then for his studious and warm friend, and he held in a sigh as he stepped out the door. When would he get the chance to see her again?

Harry followed Lily down the hall, forgetting about Hermione as his eyes greedily drank in the sight of Potter Pound. He passed several rooms with closed doors, and he knew that he would have to return at some point to investigate and satisfy his curiosity; he wanted to know every single detail there was to know about the house. Oddly enough, and he suspected this was because of Lily's influence, the house wasn't decorated solely in shades of red and gold. The kitchen, for example, was decorated in emerald green, a cool shade of blue, and white. It was a good combination and he appreciated it over Petunia's stark white kitchen as Lily motioned for him to take a seat at the breakfast nook and then went over to one of the cabinets. She removed a vial and handed it to him, then opened the refrigerator.

"This is a muggle house," Harry noted with surprise, downing the potion in one gulp. The sickening aftertaste was worth it when the pain in his head immediately began to disappear.

"Yes, it is," Lily said, smiling as she removed a pitcher of orange juice from the fridge. "James and I made the decision after we graduated to move to a muggle community, but it took me a while to convince him to actually do it. We moved to Godric's Hollow at first, because it was a wizarding community that was still fairly close to a muggle one, and then shortly after your accident, we moved here to Cliffside."

"I'm kind of surprised he wanted to come."

"He didn't at first. But I wanted you and your siblings to grow up knowing both the muggle _and_ wizarding community, Harry, so that when you were older you could have the choice to decide which one you wanted to be a part of. I've never believed that you should cut yourself off from either one, although there are many wizards who believe that you shouldn't even need to make a choice." Lily's voice was slightly bitter. "James had never lived in a muggle community before. We've made some compromises over the year, let me tell you."

"I grew up in a muggle community," Harry said suddenly.

Lily looked at him, her eyes widening. "You did? With who?"

"Um..." Inwardly cursing himself for blurting out that information, Harry looked down at the counter and fiddled with the vial. "The Dursley's," he mumbled.

"The Durs – PETUNIA?" Lily's shock was evident. She dropped the knife and stared at him, clearly horrified. "Merlin, Harry, you were left with... with that?"

"It's a long story," he said sheepishly. "After you and Dad were killed, Professor Dumbledore evidently decided that I would be the safest there. I was just a baby at the time, of course. There were some bad wizards who would have been trying to kill me, and he figured they wouldn't have thought to look for me there." As he spoke, Harry was very aware that he was making excuses for the elderly headmaster. Dumbledore's decision to place him with the Dursley's had been a monumentally bad one no matter which way you looked at it – but he couldn't quite bring himself to admit that to Lily.

"Petunia," Lily said the word as though it left a bad taste in her mouth. She began chopping tomatoes rapidly. "I _adored_ her as a child. I looked up to her so much. She was everything I wanted to be. But once I received my Hogwarts letter, that all changed. Petunia became extremely jealous of me, of the attention that Mother and Father lavished on me for being a wizard. I didn't want them to, but how could I make her understand that? I _begged_ Professor Dumbledore to accept her as a student as well, but of course, you can't make a muggle have magic if there's nothing there. So she decided that she abhorred magic." Setting her knife down, Lily lowered her head. "Every year after that we only grew more distant, and when she met that vile man whom she ended up marrying... Well, that was the end of it. I haven't seen her in years but I'm sure her attitude towards magic _and _me hasn't changed one bit. Oh, Harry, I'm so sorry."

Lily came around the nook towards him and wrapped her arms around him, pressing him against her. Tears glistened in her eyes and he closed his own eyes as one dropped onto his cheek. "I shudder to think of what kind of childhood you must have had with her," she whispered, running her fingers through his hair. "I can only imagine what Petunia and that man would do if they thought they had the opportunity to get revenge. If I had known... I never would have allowed Dumbledore to cast that dreadful spell."

"It's okay," Harry said, his voice muffled by Lily's dress. He closed his eyes, trying to force back the tears he could feel pricking. This was the sum of every childhood dream that he had ever had while in his cupboard. How many times had he lain there and wished that his mother and father would come and take him away? If only he had known that he was dreaming... Perhaps he would have been able to force himself to wake up. It was too difficult to think about, and after taking a deep breath, he whispered, "I... I'm here with you and Dad now, right?"

"Right," Lily agreed, smiling a little, though he could tell she was still bothered by what he had shared. He made a mental note to never share exactly what his childhood had been like and to gloss over the details as much as possible if asked. Lily would be crushed to find out he'd spend the majority of it in a cupboard, playing servant to a spoiled fat boy and his equally horrific parents.

"Oh!" a voice said suddenly. "Mum, you're... you're home."

Harry and Lily both turned to regard the doorway. A young girl was standing there, earphones around her neck, empty glass in her hand. He recognized her instantly as Aurelia Lily Potter, the thirteen-year-old sister that James had showed him the day before. She had her thick, curly auburn hair tied back in a ponytail and was dressed casually in shorts and a tank top. There was a small rectangle attached to her waist that she reached down and touched, causing the faint staticky sound of music to stop instantly. Her dark brown eyes regarded him curiously, examining him like he was her.

"Lia," Lily said, releasing Harry. "Where's your father?"

"He's not here," Lia answered, glancing briefly at her –_ their_ – mother. "I was outside, but I just came in to get a new book. I didn't hear the bell. That's why I thought you guys weren't home yet."

"Where in Merlin's name has that man got to now..." muttered Lily, clearly annoyed. She shook her head and sighed. "Well, Lia, this is Harry. Harry, this is Lia, your sister."

Lia approached slowly, clearly wary, and stopped a couple of feet away. Harry tried to smile at her, feeling awkward. He'd never had a sibling before. What did one do? How was he supposed to act? Did she expect to be hugged? He tried to remember how Ron had acted with Ginny and recalled the warmth and familiarity between them. But he didn't know Lia at all; they were virtual strangers. The moment grew more uncomfortable the longer the two of them were there, and he shifted his weight, not wanting to disappoint the hopeful Lily.

"Hi," he said finally.

"Hello," she returned, smiling a little. She looked remarkably like Lily when she smiled, Harry realized, warming to her a little. Perhaps this wouldn't be as difficult as he thought.

Harry groped for something to say and settled on, "I heard you like to pull pranks?"

Lia smirked, a mischievous spark lighting up her eyes. "I can pull pranks with the best of them," she said confidently, hopping up onto the seat beside him. "The Weasley twins and I are close. Uncle Sirius has shown me all kinds of things, and they gave me this really great map that lets me get all around Hogwarts without being seen."

"The Marauder's Map!" Harry said with delight. "I had it in... in my dream world."

"Really?" Lia studied him. "Did you pull pranks with it?"

"Sometimes."

"And here I had hoped to at least get one child who could behave," Lily said with amusement, returning to the sandwiches. She was watching them with obvious joy. "I'm sure that when the two of you return to Hogwarts in September, you'll be terrors. I wonder if I should send out a warning now..."

"Hey, someone has to keep the legend of the Marauders alive," Harry said innocently.

"Right on," Lia giggled. "Are you a Gryffindor?"

"Yup. Dad said you were, too."

She nodded. "I'm glad I was. I probably would've been disowned if I had ended up somewhere else," she said slyly, glancing at her mother.

Lily huffed. "Aurelia Lily, you know your father didn't mean that."

"He told me that if I got into Slytherin, not to come home," Lia whispered to him. "Mum went mental on him after she found me crying in bed because I was so scared. It was absolutely brilliant, almost worth the nightmare I had."

Harry laughed. "I almost got put into Slytherin," he said, then paused. Why had he told her that? He'd never said that to anyone before. It had been one of his most well-kept secrets, and not even Ron and Hermione knew. Enough people thought he was evil already. "The Sorting Hat thought that I was very cunning."

"I was almost a Ravenclaw," said Lily.

"So was I," Lia admitted. "But I love pulling pranks so much that the Hat thought I would be better suited to Gryffindor and someone like McGonagall."

"She certainly can keep students in line," Harry agreed, thrilled that neither one of them had been upset about his nearly being a Slytherin. The information had been accepted so smoothly. There was no fear of the Boy-Who-Lived having evil inside him and Harry _loved_ that, loved that for the first time in his life he was just a normal kid. Well, as normal as a wizarding child could be, anyway.

"I'll say. Almost makes me wish I had been a Ravenclaw after all. I've heard Professor Sinistra is nothing like her," Lia said, propping her chin on her hands.

"Minerva is fair to everyone," Lily told her, slicing the two sandwiches she had made and placing one in front of Harry and one in front of Lia. She went to the cupboard and pulled out two glasses. "It doesn't matter what house you're a part of. If you do something wrong, you're going to be punished. She is likely one of the fairest professors that Hogwarts has. Furthermore, she does you good, Lia, and you know it."

"Yeah, yeah," Lia grumbled good-naturedly, tucking into her sandwich.

Harry picked up his own sandwich and bit into it. Tomatoes, lettuce, bacon, and turkey filled his mouth. It was good, but he wouldn't really have cared if it wasn't: it was the first thing he'd ever had created by his mother and that meant it was the best thing he'd ever tasted. Lia seemed to be in agreement, as she was making quick work of her own. Lily looked at them with fondness in her green eyes as she placed two glasses of juice in front of them before pouring a third for herself. He picked up his glass and took a gulp, startled when the crisp taste of orange meant his tastebuds instead of pumpkin.

"I'm not that crazy about pumpkin juice," Lily said, obviously anticipating his question.

"But it's the main drink at Hogwarts."

"I _know_," she said wryly, wiping down the counter with a rag. "After seven solid years, I had more than enough and I haven't touched it since the day I graduated. James and Anna love it, so if you like it I do have some, but I prefer to stick to orange, apple, and grape."

"My favourite is apple juice," said Lia, setting down her empty glass. "If you make friendly with the house elves, they're surprisingly receptive to adding things to the menu."

"I bet Hermione would've loved that," Harry muttered to himself.

Lia looked at him sharply. "Hermione? Hermione Granger?"

"Yeah. She was one of my best friends."

"Really..." Lia cast an odd look at Lily, who shook her head silently. Harry glanced back and forth between them in confusion. "I wouldn't have thought she would be your type."

"My_ type_?" Harry's eyebrows rose and he grinned at the idea, amused. He had never felt that way towards Hermione, and he was pretty sure that she hadn't, either. She had been the closest thing that he had to a sister in that world, and it had always been evident to him that she and Ron were made for each other. "Hermione wasn't my girlfriend. I've never had one before. She was just my friend, that's all."

"Both Ron and Hermione will be coming to visit you tomorrow, Harry," Lily broke in. "They were a little surprised to hear you wanted to meet them, but they're very excited."

"Great," Harry said, wondering what the strange looks had been about. He got them whenever he mentioned that he was friends with Ron and Hermione. For the first time, a bit of doubt began to creep over him. As Lily had just pointed out, he didn't really know the two of them. All he knew was Ron and Hermione who had never really existed. Were the "real" versions so very different? Would they even like him? He sighed and noticed that both Lily and Lia were staring at him. To change the subject, he asked, "Where are Annabelle and Jonathon?"

"Anna's out with her playgroup," Lia said, glancing at the clock. "She won't be home for at least a couple of hours. Jon's away. One of his friends invited him to go on a trip. They've been gone since Saturday."

Harry was about to say something else when he was cut off by the sound of a bell. It sounded like the bell in the tower at Hogwarts that rang every once in a while, a deep gonging that seemed to resonate through his whole body. He pressed his hands to his ears and looked at Lily and Lia with alarm, but both of them just seemed annoyed, not panicked. The sound faded away slowly, leaving a ringing silence in place. No one spoke for a moment.

"I'm going to kill James for leaving that charm up," Lily growled suddenly, tossing her rag at the sink. "He promised that he would take it down after the time it woke Jon up when he was sick. It drives me bloody crazy every time someone comes through the Network."

"It gives me a headache," Lia murmured, rubbing her forehead. "Why does it have to be so loud?"

"What does it mean?" Harry asked at the same time.

"Dad installed it so that whenever someone arrived by Floo, we would know. He got a little paranoid about having the Network open to everyone, instead of having it directly linked to just a couple of places, and decided that some kind of warning was needed. Why he couldn't choose an alarm that was a little quieter, I have no idea."

"Because your father has to do everything with as much attention as possible."

"I heard that," James said as he entered the kitchen. He was grinning broadly, clearly not as annoyed by Lily's remark as he was pretending to be, for he walked straight over to her and kissed her on the cheek. Lily put her hands on her hips and gave him a stern look, though Harry could tell she was more amused than anything else.

"Where have you been?" she said.

"I was gathering up the rest of the strays."

"Says you," said Sirius, entering the kitchen. Lia yelped with joy and raced over to him. Sirius caught her up and swung her around, narrowly avoiding clipping Remus, who was just behind him. The man dodged out of the way, shaking his head. "I'll have you know I've been claimed by Arabella, and Remus here has Orion. We're not strays anymore, my man, although judging by the look on your wife's face, you're not sleeping in the kennel tonight."

"Not all of us are claimed," a new voice announced as James glared at Sirius. Harry felt his chest tighten as Peter Pettigrew edged in around Remus. The man looked a hell of a lot better than he had in Harry's world, an improvement that he didn't deserve as far as Harry was concerned. He was still on the chubby side with thinning, greying hair, but the rat-like appearance so prevalent the last time Harry had encountered him was not nearly as apparent. "Harry, my boy, it's good to see you," Pettigrew said, beaming.

Harry was trying to figure out how to politely explain to Pettigrew that he was most definitely _not_ 'his boy' when he caught sight of Lia out of the corner of his eye. She had moved from holding onto Sirius to clinging onto Remus, but there was a look of mild disgust on her face as she gazed in Pettigrew's direction. A visible shiver traveled through her body when Pettigrew walked past her and she clung tighter to Remus, pointedly turning her head away. He couldn't help it: he was immensely glad that at least someone didn't like him. It was positively eerie to see Sirius, Remus, and his parents acting so casually around the man who, in his world anyway, had destroyed them.

"Do I know you?" Harry said then, looking up at Pettigrew with the upmost innocence. There was no way to express his distaste with the man, not when almost everyone around him appeared to be so happy. James, Sirius, and Remus were obviously still close with Pettigrew, and he suspected that they would not take news of his supposed betrayal well. The easiest thing to do was feign ignorance, which thankfully – after years of Hermione's lectures and rants – Harry was an ace at.

Pettigrew looked surprised. "You don't recognize me?"

"No. Should I?"

James and Lily exchanged looks. Then James came around the counter and said gently, "Harry, this is one of my old school friends, Peter Pettigrew. I had expected that since you knew Sirius and Remus, you would know him as well, but..." he trailed off.

"Sorry." Harry shrugged and adjusted his glasses. "Can't say that I do. The Sirius and Remus I knew never even mentioned you." It was cruel, yet he delighted in seeing the hurt flickering in those ratty little eyes. Good! Harry hoped that it kept him up at nights, wondering where their friendship had gone wrong in Harry's world.

"Well, it was nice meeting you," Pettigrew said after a somewhat awkward pause. He extended his hand. Harry hesitated, but he didn't really see a way out of touching the man. Gingerly, he gripped Pettigrew's hand and shook, hiding the shudder of revulsion that passed through him and pulling back as soon as he could. On a conscious level, he knew that this Pettigrew had not done anything wrong and so did not deserve his animosity, but he couldn't help it. Every sense within him screamed that this rat could not be trusted and vehemently protested having him anywhere in the vicinity of Lily, James, Remus, Sirius, and Lia.

"Anyone up for a quick game of Quidditch?" James asked, glancing outside. It was a sparkling sunny day, and as Harry moved across the windows, he could see that there was indeed a mock Quidditch path set up in the backyard, hoops and all. Being that Lily had remarked they lived in a muggle community, he suspected that it was enchanted and that it was one of the compromises she had mentioned.

"I can't," said Pettigrew. "I really only came to meet Harry, and now that I have, I must be off."

"Got a hot date?" Sirius said, smirking and elbowing Remus.

"No, Sirius, not as such." Pettigrew shook his head at Sirius in a fond manoeuvre that irritated Harry. "Just a business meeting at the Ministry."

"So glad we never have to deal with those, eh, Remus."

"I don't think you could handle them if you tried," Remus said dryly, loosening his grip on Lia and straightening his shirt. She was all too happy when Sirius promptly dropped an arm around her shoulders.

"What do you do for a living?" Harry asked curiously.

"I'm the charms professor at Hogwarts," said Lily.

"Defence Against the Dark Arts," Sirius replied. "Arabella works as a Healer at St. Mungos, and Orion owns a small clothing store in Diagon Alley."

"Care of Magical Creatures professor," Remus chimed in, and Harry stared at him, realizing that without Voldemort, Hagrid hadn't been accused of opening the Chamber of Secrets and killing a student while he was at school. His wand hadn't been snapped. He would've gone on and graduated like he was supposed to. A flicker of sadness went through Harry, and he wondered what his first friend ever was doing. Wherever he was, he hoped that Hagrid had ended up as happy as caring for creatures like Aragog had made him.

"Are you a professor, too?" he questioned, glancing at James.

"Sometimes," James said. "I'm the flying instructor. I teach the first and second years from September to December, and then I monitor the Quidditch games and practices. Occasionally I also do Auror work for the Ministry whenever they need some extra help, but I stay at Hogwarts for the year."

Harry considered this. "What about Anna and Jon?"

"They usually come along. We have a suite of rooms at Hogwarts and they stay with us. It's unusual, but since James and I are both professors, Albus wanted to accommodate us as much as possible," Lily explained.

James nudged Harry. "He was dying to get your mum in there as a charms professor," he whispered in Harry's ear. "Albus would've agreed to anything."

Lily's glare indicated that she had heard. "Usually we hire a governess during the school year to keep them in hand during the day," she said stiffly. "And to give them some basic lessons that most wizarding children receive. We all come home for Christmas and now you will, too."

There were no words to describe how much Harry was looking forward to this. "That sounds great," he said simply.

"Well, I must be off," Pettigrew announced, and was gone before anyone could say anything. Harry, gazing after him, realized that the rat never had announced what he did. Then again, he was just as glad, because he wouldn't have wanted to bother faking interest in anything Pettigrew said or did.

"_We're _off to do a match," James said, beckoning the rest of them.

"Harry, dear, I don't think you should play yet," Lily said, peering at him with concern. "Poppy said it might be some time before you were up to full strength, and I'm worried that you might fall off of your broom. You look quite tired. Why don't I take you up to your room and you can rest for a while?"

Although he didn't want to admit it, Harry _was_ getting a little tired. Playing a game of Quidditch with his father sounded amazing, but he knew that Lily was right. "Sure, I guess that would be okay."

"We'll wait for you outside, Lils." James pushed the back door open and stepped out. Sirius and Remus followed. Lily left the kitchen, leaving Lia and Harry alone. She looked at him silently for a minute, her dark eyes questioning, before she spoke softly.

"You don't like him."

It wasn't a question, but Harry nodded anyway. "He did something... terrible in my world."

Lia bit her lip. "I don't like the way he looks at me," she said quietly. "At any of us. Even you. But especially Mum. It's not... right."

Harry felt an instant flash of protectiveness. "Don't worry, Lia, he can't touch you." But as he spoke, Harry was recalling the things Pettigrew had done in his world... and knew that someone didn't have to physically touch you in order to hurt you in the worst possible way. Frustration rose up inside of him. Was Pettigrew every bit as dangerous in this world? And if so, what was he to do when Pettigrew was one of his father's best friends?

"Harry!" Lily called.

"Coming!" he answered automatically, still gazing at Lia. "Go outside," he suggested, "even if you don't want to play Quidditch. It's impossible to be miserable around Sirius."

A tiny smile broke out on her lips. "That's true. You know what, I even think I might play a bit."

"Play for me," he said, and was rewarded with her grin. He watched her exit the kitchen before heading in the direction Lily had gone, glad that he had been able to cheer Lia up a tiny bit. Concerned, at the same time, for what might be brewing behind the scenes of a world that he had been thrust into.

Lily led him upstairs and down another hallway. She stopped in front of one of the many doors and turned to look at him. Her smile wavered, but her emerald green eyes were shining. "I didn't know if I'd ever have the chance to show you this," she said, putting her hand on the doorknob and twisting it slowly. "I hope you like it."

Harry stepped into a room that was easily the size of the fifth year Gryffindor boy's dormitory, looking around in wonder. It was artfully decorated in softer shades of red and gold, with green and blue accents scattered here and there. There were two doors on the far side of the room, leading to what, he had no idea. Two windows bordered the wall directly across from him; one had a large window seat with plush crimson coverings decorated with blue lions, and the other was smaller with an owl perch built right into it. The bed was massive, with several gold and white pillows. Sitting in the middle was a tiny, worn golden lion with bright green eyes.

"That was your favourite toy as a child," Lily told him, following his gaze. Harry walked over to the bed and picked up the lion. It fit comfortably into his hands, the perfect size for a toddler to hold onto. "Sirius bought it for you, and you adored it from day one. James was so jealous that your favourite toy was something he bought you..." She smiled, her eyes misty. "He bought you an endless amount after that, trying to coax you to give that up."

"Did I have a name for it?"

"You called it Pad. I think you were probably trying to say 'Padfoot' but you were too young to pronounce it properly."

"Huh." Harry yawned then, a wave of tiredness coming over him so forcefully that he nearly dropped right there. "I guess I was more tired than I thought."

Lily laughed. "I guess so. Go to sleep for a while, Harry. I'll wake you up when dinner is ready. You can drink the rest of your potions then." She approached and kissed him on the forehead, then walked back over to the door and turned the light out. "If the sunlight bothers you, just touch this button," she said, pointing to a small silver button beside the switch. "It activates a charm to keep the light out."

"Thanks." He nodded, relieved as the door closed and Lily walked away. After so many new experiences in one day, he desperately needed some time alone to sort things through. Harry sat down on the bed and looked around the room slowly. It was hard to believe that the lavish and undoubtedly expensive furnishings were intended for someone like him. "This is what my life should have been like," he said to himself, feeling anger burn through him. A_ fall_? Something as stupid and insignificant as a fall down the stairs had ruined his childhood? The thought of the kind of life and memories he could have had made him sick to contemplate.

Sighing, he stretched out on the bed, placing Pad on his stomach. As he moved, his fingers struck something hard and flat. Curious, he picked up and experienced a jolt of shock when he identified it as yet another creamy envelope bearing his name in that delicate, black feminine script. Harry sat up slowly, holding the envelope tightly between fingers that had begun to shake. Did he want to open it?

Before common sense could stop him, Harry tore the envelope open and peered inside. He could see two things. One was another piece of parchment, and the other was a hair. A single strand, long and limp, that looked brown in the light of his bedroom. Puzzled, he placed it carefully on the nightstand and took out the parchment, unfolding it carefully. His heart had begun to hammer in his chest, for he knew that whatever he was about to read was probably going to turn his world upside down... again. The first thing he noticed was the crimson drawing of the phoenix, painted carefully beneath the short message.

_Harry,_

_You have to believe me and you must not tell anyone, because I have no idea who you can trust. He will kill everyone that you have regained if you choose to ignore my warnings. The Death Eaters cannot be trusted. Do not allow them to sway you. No spell, dream, or fall could ever erase the taint that has stained their souls._

* * *

You'll notice that James said he teaches the first AND second years; in this world, the second years receive refresher courses in flying before they're allowed to try out for the Quidditch team. Please review!

Coming up: Harry meets Ron and Hermione, as well as his two other siblings.


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: Luna's mother's name was never mentioned, so I picked one at random for her. "Jocasta" is greek in origin and it means "shining moon". This chapter went in a totally different direction than I had planned, which is one of the reasons is took two weeks as opposed to a week. But I think it ultimately ended up better than what I had originally decided on, so I guess it's for the best. Enjoy!

* * *

"Harry."

"Hmm."

"Harry. Wake up, darling."

Reluctantly, Harry opened his eyes and spotted Pad laying right in front of him, which affirmed for him immediately that he was still in the new world. He had been having a rather good dream, although he couldn't recall what it had been about. Lights went on in the room and he cringed, shielding his eyes, as the charm that darkened the windows began to vanish. Had he pushed the button yesterday? The last thing he remembered was sitting on the bed examining the parchment sent to him by his mystery writer, and wishing that he had a wand so that he could do some exploratory spells on it.

"Are you alright, Harry?" Lily asked, approaching the bed. She laid a hand on his forehead to check for a fever. "You don't feel warm."

"I'm okay. Just a bit of a headache," he managed.

"You didn't take your potions last night. I didn't have the heart to wake you when you were sleeping so soundly. That's probably why you don't feel well." Lily pointed to a tray that had been set on his nightstand. "If you still don't feel better when once you've taken them, I'll firecall Arabella. I'm also making breakfast, so get dressed once you've taken them and come on downstairs. Anna is so excited to meet you."

Harry was more interested in the vial of headache potion sitting on his stand than he was in another little sister. He swiped it eagerly and downed it before Lily had even gotten out of the room. The cool feeling of his headache vanishing gave him the strength to sit up and drink the rest of the potions, wincing and cringing as the sour tastes combined into something truly horrendous. One of the doors in his room that he hadn't investigated the night before proved to lead to a bathroom; eagerly, he dove inside and rummaged around until he found a toothbrush and some toothpaste.

Once he was cleaned and dressed in a pair of brown pants and a green shirt that had been laid out over a chair, Harry headed downstairs, feeling a lot better than he had when he'd first woken up. He was nearly to the kitchen when a younger girl with black hair ran into him – literally. He stumbled backwards and would have fallen if there hadn't been a small table in the hallway that he grabbed onto. As he regained his balance, the girl looked up at him. Tears shone in burning emerald eyes and she gave a huge sob.

"What's wrong?" Harry asked.

"My... my kitty r-ran away," she cried. "I was playing with her o-outside and someone pushed a h-horn and she got scared. What if she gets hit by a c-car?"

He had little experience with children, but Harry crouched down and searched for something encouraging to say. This had to be his youngest sister – the emerald green eyes were a dead giveaway – and in spite of himself he wanted to make a good impression. "Why don't we go find Mom and Dad?" he suggested at last. "Maybe one of them could do the summoning spell to bring your kitty back. Are you Anna?"

The little girl nodded and rubbed her eyes. "You must be my big brother," she said. Without warning, she stepped closer and wound her arms around his neck.

"I guess I am," Harry said, feeling peculiar at the warm reception and all thoughts that she wouldn't accept him gone. Her body was so slender and small that he was almost afraid of hugging her back. Gingerly, he embraced her around the shoulders, amazed at the realization that she could give such a warm reception to someone that, for all intents and purpose, she had never met. "My name is Harry. It's good to meet you, Anna."

Anna smiled through her tears and clung to his hand as they moved into the kitchen. James was sitting at the nook, sipping from a cup of coffee and deeply involved in a copy of _The Daily Prophet_. Lily was humming as she strolled around the kitchen and poked occasionally at frying pans filled with pancakes, eggs, bacon, sausage, and hash browns. As Harry watched, she gave a flick of her wand and five glasses instantly leapt out of the cupboard. A pitcher of milk rose from the table and filled each one. Lia was sitting beside James, flipping aimlessly through a rather thick and dusty book. The glum look on her face told him that she wasn't exactly reading for leisure.

"Daddy!" Anna wailed suddenly, releasing Harry's hand in order to throw herself at her father. James looked up, surprised, and gasped for breath as his youngest daughter hurtled herself onto him. "Twister ran away!"

"Annabelle Sky, did you take that cat outside _again_ after I expressly told you not to?" Lily demanded, setting her knife down sharply. An exasperated look crossed her face as she seized her wand and walked towards the kitchen door. She opened the door and stepped just outside, holding her wand at the ready. "How many times have I told you to leave Twister inside? _Accio _Twister Potter!"

There was a pause, and then a small black ball of fluff flew into Lily's arms. Lily cradled the rather surprised-looking kitten in her arms as she closed the door and turned towards Anna, who gave a cry a joy when she saw the cat. "_Stop_ taking her outside," Lily ordered, handing the kitten to her exuberant daughter. "One of these days something might happen to her before your father or I can summon her back. I know you love her, Anna, and that's why I want you to understand that it's dangerous. Twister can't protect herself from a car or a dog."

"I won't take her out any more, Mommy," Anna promised.

Lily's stern look softened into a smile. "I know you won't, honey. Now put Twister down and go take a seat the table, okay? Breakfast is ready."

Harry followed his father and sisters into a large room that had ample space for a dark wood table. James sat down at the head of the table, and Anna and Lia sat down on the left. He approached slowly, wondering where his place was, and finally sat down across from Lia. Judging by the smile that she gave him, he assumed that he had chosen correctly. There was a faint popping sound, and then all of the food, including a pile of warm toast, that Lily had been preparing in the kitchen appeared on the table, along with plates, utensils, pitchers of juice and milk, butter, sugar, sliced strawberries, melted chocolate, and syrup. Then Lily herself entered the room and took a seat to the right of Harry and directly across from James, and looked around with a smile.

"Tuck in, everyone," she said cheerfully.

"I'm starving," Anna said happily, all traces of her earlier tears gone. She took a pancake and spread butter over it, then added a pool of chocolate and several strawberries.

"Anna, make sure you eat more than just chocolate with a bit of pancakes and strawberries," said James, helping himself to several rashers of bacon.

"Yeah, yeah."

Harry placed some scrambled eggs and a couple of sausage on his plate, then took a piece of toast. Lily caught his eye and gave him a warm, misty smile. He realized in a flash that his mother had probably been dreaming of this, almost a whole family meal, for years. It was his own first real meal in his house with his parents and two sisters and he ate happily, with more appetite than normal. It was exciting to think that later on that night, Jon would arrive home from his trip, and then he would have a family meal that included everyone. Even in all of his wildest dreams, he had never dared to hope for this.

The doorbell rang when the meal was almost done. Lia wiped her hands and chin with a napkin and jumped up, hurrying to answer the door. Harry finished his last bite of hash browns and bacon and sat back with a sigh; Lily was an even better cook than the house elves at Hogwarts. All of the food had been cooked just the way he liked it, and even though he was full to bursting, he found it hard to stop. James seemed to feel the same way, because every so often he would reach out and snag another piece of bacon or toast.

"James, you've had enough," Lily finally admonished, shaking her head. "I can't believe you can still put away so much food. It's amazing you don't eat us out of house and home sometimes."

James grinned. "It's just proof of what a wonderful cook you are, my love," he said. "I always know when to stop, Lils."

"Yeah right," said Lily, rolling her eyes, but a smile had broken out across her lips. "That's why you still overeat to the point where you have a stomach ache sometimes."

"Totally coincidental. I can't help it if my stomach is on occasion too delicate."

"Harry, your friends are here." Lia stood in the doorway, her cheeks flushed pink. She turned to Lily and said, "Mum, I'm going over to Luna's house for a while, okay? I promised that I would help her look after Jocasta's Garden for the day. She's having a terrible time with gnomes. They know she's alone and that she can only toss so many of them at once."

"Alright, dear. Have a good time, be sure you're home in time for supper, and do make sure you don't get bitten. Gnome bites are nasty things."

"I won't. Bye."

Lia ran off and Harry stood up slowly, feeling his stomach flutter. He had been both anticipating and dreading this moment since he woke up. Lily and James exchanged anxious looks, and James rose to accompany him into the living room. Harry was grateful for his father's silent support as he headed for the entryway, wondering how his friends would look and act around him. Although he tried to tell himself not to anticipate too much, being that the two of them had grown up in entirely different worlds, he couldn't help praying that Ron and Hermione would be just like he remembered them.

The first person he saw was Ron. Or at least... Harry_ thought_ that it was Ron. The boy in front of him bore little ressemblance to the youngest Weasley boy that was so vivid in his memory. This Ron had longer hair, that, while still the same shade of red, was cut in a shaggy style that just hung over his pale blue eyes. His skin was tanned and he was taller and stockier, with strength written in every movement. He was wearing a tight black muscle shirt and a pair of blue jeans that even Harry could tell must have been modified to cling.

Right beside Ron was a girl with a glossy, shining, perfectly styled dark hair that fell around her shoulders and complimented her dark brown eyes. She was wearing a form-fitting blue sundress that showed off her curves to the fullest. Every blink showed off the paint on her eyelids, and her lips were covered with a pale pink lipstick. Most shocking of all, she was actually wearing a pair of dark blue shoes that had at least a three inch heel on them. Harry stopped walking and stood still, outright staring and trying to reconcile this fashionable, beautiful young woman with that of his dearest friend. Was..._ this_... Hermione? What in Merlin's name had happened to her?

"Hermione?" he rasped, feeling weak. James quickly gripped his arm, sensing that his son had experienced a bad shock. "Is... Is that you?"

"Yes, it's me," said the girl, looking nervous at his reaction. Her voice sounded exactly the same. It was too much for Harry, who allowed his father to steer him across the room and into one of the comfortable chairs near the fireplace. Harry sank down gratefully, aware that his knees wouldn't have supported him for much longer, and stared into the fire with dull eyes. He had suspected a change, but this...

A door closed in the distance and then two more people walked into the room. Harry could hardly find it in himself to look up at them. Reluctantly, he did, wondering how much more of this new world he could take. The new male arrival had long, silvery blonde hair tied back in a low ponytail and silvery blue eyes. He was tall and slender, not nearly as muscled as Ron, but with a grace that the other boy was missing. His clothing spoke of wealth and promise, even though he was wearing a simple pale blue shirt and a pair of black pants. There was a silver chain around his neck, but nothing to identify him; that was alright, though, because Harry didn't need it. There was no question in his mind as to who this was, the only question that was plaguing him was why the hell Draco Malfoy was standing in his house.

The second arrival was a girl. Her hair was wavy and hung nearly to her waist, and was a deep auburn color shot through with golden highlights. She wasn't wearing any make-up and her clothing was a green sundress with an empire-style waist designed from a white ribbon. It wasn't nearly as short or revealing as the blue one Hermione wore. The shoes she wearing were white sandals with a small heel. Harry looked straight at her and saw that her eyes were the palest shade of golden brown he'd ever seen. He recognized her vaguely, but his mind couldn't place her; his gaze kept straying back to the two strangers who looked only vaguely like his best friends.

"Harry," James said, laying a hand on his shoulder. "This is Ron Weasley, Hermione Granger, Draco Malfoy, and Ginevra Weasley, Ron's sister. You had mentioned only Ron and Hermione, but your mother and I thought you might like to see Draco and Ginny as well."

Ginny! Harry wasn't even listening to his father by that point. He was too busy gawking at the other girl, who was turning a lovely shade of red during his close examination. It was almost as difficult to think of this slender, lovely girl as Ginny Weasley as it was to think of the other two as Ron and Hermione. It was only once he'd made a full assessment of the group that his father's words penetrated and he turned to give him a puzzled look.

"Why would I want to know Malfoy?" he asked, trying hard to keep the venom that was normally in his voice when he spoke of the boy as quiet as possible.

James' eyebrows rose. "Lily and I are acquainted with the Malfoys," he remarked. "I wasn't quite sure whom you were friends with in your world. Besides, if you were friends with Hermione, it only made sense that you would be close with _Draco_ as well." He emphasized the name with a warning look. Obviously Harry had done a lot worse at sounding polite than he'd thought.

A very bad feeling was growing in his chest. "Why would that matter?" he said, afraid of the answer.

"Because Draco and I are dating, of course," Hermione said, staring at him like he'd grown a tail. As she spoke, Draco approached her and wrapped an arm around her shoulders. Hermione smiled and snuggled into his side as though she had belonged there all her life. Ron shot them a look of hatred, and Ginny's expression was one of sheer horror. Harry knew how both of them felt. Seeing Hermione, no matter how different she looked, cosying up with Malfoy was enough to make his breakfast come back up his throat.

"Be right back," he managed and took off for the bathroom. He made it just in time to throw up everything he had consumed less than twenty minutes ago. Panting, he leaned over the toilet and rested his forehead against the cool porcelain. Tiny images of Hermione and Draco embracing danced on the inside of his eyelids. It was the most disturbing thing he had seen yet, and it was the first time that the fact that everything was completely, totally different really struck him.

"Harry?" a soft voice asked. He glanced up to see Ginny Weasley standing in the doorway. The sympathy and warmth in her eyes almost reduced him to tears. "Are you... okay?"

"No." Harry flat out admitted it as he leaned back and studied her. He had never been close to Ginny, so maybe that was why it didn't affect him so severely to see her looking different. Certainly, her hair and clothing were of a better quality, but if he observed her more closely, he could see flashes of the Ginny he had known. The way she smiled and the tilt of her head was so familiar that he could have hugged her. "It's... I knew things would be different from my... my dream world, but I never expected it would have changed so much. What happened?"

"I don't know," Ginny said, leaning against the counter. She linked her hands in front of her and thought. "I wasn't there during the first year of Hogwarts," she said slowly. "But Ron told me Hermione was kind of weird. She was interested in books and being really smart and well, she didn't fit in very well. I suppose she was probably lonely, and I guess when she came back from vacation after the first year, she was totally different. No one even recognized her, but now she's apparently best friends with people like Padma and Lavender." There was a fair amount of disdain in her voice.

Harry cradled his head in his hands. That explained everything, didn't it? In his dream world, he had been the one to bridge the gap between Hermione and the remainder of Hogwarts, particularly Ron. But in this world, that had never happened, and as Ginny had said, Hermione had most likely been desperately lonely. Books couldn't fill in for everything. He hated the thought that she changed her identity just to fit in with airheads like Padma and Lavender. Did the old Hermione still exist somewhere under that girly exterior? If so, how could he get her back?

"When did she start dating Malfoy?"

"Ah... Well... I'm not really sure. I... Hermione and I aren't close."

"Are she and Ron friends?"

"Not really. They don't seem to be. Ron hasn't really talked to her at all since we got here." She frowned. "The Weasleys and the Malfoys have never been particularly friendly, you know, and Ron and Malfoy are the ones who hate each other the most. But Hermione's a popular girl now and Malfoy always has to have the best of everything, right? So I guess, even if they were close or friendly before, that only drove even more of a wedge between her and Ron." Ginny sighed and crouched down, looking completely miserable. "I wish this wasn't so hard."

"Me too," Harry said quietly. "I should probably go back out there, though. Dad seemed pretty annoyed with how impolite I was being." It was an odd thought to acknowledge. People had admonished him about his lack of manners before, but it had never meant so much.

Ginny smiled bitterly. "If I were you, I'd run out the door and never look back," she said, looking him square in the eyes. "I... They're not who you think they are, Harry. They're not your friends anymore."

He couldn't look back at her. Harry dropped his gaze and stood up, not wanting to admit how much the truth of her words stung. "I know. But I... I can't just let them go so quickly, you know? For the past five years, Ron and Hermione have been my best friends and I always thought that they would be. Maybe in this world that can't be, but I don't think I can just turn my back on them without giving it a try."

Her expression softened. "I should have known," she murmured. "You're right, Harry. Maybe you shouldn't give up on them yet. You had such a big influence on the two of them before... If only you could bring them back..."

He lifted his head and glanced up at her oddly. Even though it felt like his mind wasn't working at full speed yet, he could tell that something seemed... strange... about what she had just said. It hit him suddenly that somehow, she knew that he had been the one to befriend both Ron and Hermione and bring them together in _his_ world. She also didn't know when Hermione and Draco had begun dating – an event that surely would have caused _some_ news in Hogwarts if the two of them were so popular – or if Ron and Hermione were close, and she was the only one who had come after him... and she was so familiar. Harry sat down heavily on the edge of the tub; he was on the brink of something momentous. Ginny stared back at him, her eyes wide, and it was clear that she had realized it herself.

"Ginny... " he whispered.

"Harry." James poked his head into the bathroom, startling both of them. "I realize that it was a shock for you to see your friends, and I understand if you need some time to absorb things, but you should at least come and say good-bye to them before they leave."

"What?" Unwillingly, he dragged his eyes away from Ginny and glanced dazedly at James. Too many surprises had been heaped upon him in one day.

"If my brother is ready to leave, I should get going," Ginny said, jumping up quickly and smoothing her skirt back down. "It was lovely to meet you, Harry." This time she was the one avoiding Harry's eyes as she slipped past James and disappeared down the hall. Harry leapt to his feet and raced after her, all thoughts of how weak he was feeling forgotten as he rounded the corner to the living room. He stopped abruptly, having nearly run into her. She was standing in the doorway, staring at the scene before her.

Ron and Malfoy were both on their feet glaring at each other. Ron's fists were clenched, and Malfoy's hands were at his side – Harry was pretty sure that he was either holding onto his wand or that he was prepared to get it at any time. Hermione was clutching Malfoy's arm, her cheeks flushed with anger. There was a bright red, hand-shaped mark on Ron's face that was only just beginning to fade. It wasn't hard to figure out what had happened, and although the situation could have easily escalated into something more dangerous, he was almost glad to see that some things would _never _change.

"You take that back, Weasel," Malfoy said coldly.

"Make me," Ron snapped, breathing hard. He looked as though he'd like nothing more than to snap Malfoy's neck. "What I said is true. Only a slut would want to be with someone like _you_."

"_Ron_!" Ginny and Harry said his name together, their voices ringing out with the same note of disgust and appall.

Ron glanced at them, having only just realized they were there. "What?"

"You called Hermione a _slut_?" Ginny said, horrified. "What is wrong with you?"

"What do you care? You don't even _like_ her," Ron said.

Ginny's mouth snapped shut and she looked at a loss. Harry glanced at her, then glared at Ron and said, "It's clear to me that I don't know either of you that well anymore, but you should know that I won't tolerate that kind of thing in my house, Ron. Hermione is my friend and you shouldn't talk about her that way. Even if she is dating Malfoy." He grimaced as he spoke those words, still having trouble with getting used to the idea.

The tips of Ron's ears turned a brilliant red color, but he spun without saying a word and stormed out the front door, slamming it so hard that it bounced once before closing. It was the smartest thing he could have done, because Harry wasn't feeling as in control of his magic as he would have normally been. In the silence that reigned, Ginny sighed, and Hermione glanced at Harry with a tentative look in her dark brown eyes. She didn't seem to know what to say. Harry made it easy for her by approaching and gazing straight into her eyes, searching for the remnants of the sweet, wise friend that he had known. He couldn't be sure, but he thought she was in there.

"I want to be friends with you, 'Mione," he said, the nickname slipping out before he could stop it. Hermione jerked as though she had been the one slapped. "We were close in my..." he hesitated, unsure of what he should be calling his 'dream world' after his talk with Ginny. "In my world. I don't want to loose that just because some things have changed."

Hermione gave him a tiny smile. "I'd like to be friends. But... I am dating Draco."

Harry glanced at Malfoy and met the silvery blue eyes he had once hated so much. It was cruel to hold things against Malfoy that he had never actually done, but at the same time, it was hard to let go of everything all at once. Especially when this Malfoy seemed so similar to the one from his world. He remembered Malfoy's cutting comment about Sirius's death... Hermione punching him... Malfoy being turned into a ferret by the fake Moody... and all of the other times over the years that the blonde boy had caused them untold trouble. Was he really that different in this world? The other Malfoy would never have held onto Hermione so gently. Could he – or Hermione, for that matter – be trusted, or was this a trick?

Cool hands touched and held onto his arm, and Ginny appeared by his side. "He'll try, Hermione," she said softly. "We both will. Whatever happened in the past between us, I'd like to put it behind us. I'm not my brother. I want to be your friend, too. Both of you," she added, looking up at Malfoy.

Malfoy's eyebrows rose slightly, but that was the only indication he gave that he was surprised. "I would like that," he said with a nod.

"Me, too," Hermione smiled shyly. "Maybe we could go to Diagon Alley tomorrow."

"I'll owl you," Harry said, certain that his parents must have some kind of access to an owl, even if he hadn't seen one around the house. "Tonight."

"Sounds good." Malfoy opened the door and Hermione walked through, giving an uncertain wave of her hand. It was easy to tell that she couldn't quite believe what had just happened, and Harry was almost amused. Ginny waved back and Malfoy nodded to them both as he followed Hermione outside and closed the door behind them.

"Never thought _you_ would be friends with Draco Malfoy," Ginny said.

Harry whirled. "I _knew_ it," he said, seizing her by the waist. Without waiting for her to say anything else, he jerked her into the hardest, longest hug he had ever given anyone in his whole life. Ginny wrapped her arms around him and clung to him. He buried his face in her hair and drank in how good it felt to be embraced by someone who knew the whole story. There was a million questions burning through his mind – what was going on? How did Ginny know when no one else did? Why hadn't she told him as soon as she walked in? Was she the mysterious letter writer, or was there a third person? – but it felt so good to hold onto her that he never wanted to stop.

"I have to go," Ginny said into his shirt after some time had passed. Her voice was muffled. "Ron's probably furious."

"That's not your problem," Harry said. Reluctantly, he released her, although he kept a grip on her hands. "Or at least, it shouldn't be. Ron's a big boy, Gin."

"You don't know him that well anymore," she said. "From what I've seen in the past few days, he's become the golden boy of Gryffindor, just like he always wanted, and that power has gone to his head. He seems to think that he can do whatever he wants. His temper is enormous. It's kind of scary sometimes."

"I bet," Harry muttered, wondering if he would be able to bring his friend back from the brink. "We have to talk, Ginny. Soon."

"I'll come back tomorrow morning. Before we go to Diagon Alley with Hermione and Malfoy." Her eyes studied him. "Are you okay with that?"

"I don't know," he admitted. "It's... I mean, it's _Malfoy_. Part of me is screaming that even being in the same room with him is so completely wrong that I can hardly stand it, much less having to be cordial towards him for the sake of Hermione. But then I keep reminding myself that this Malfoy isn't the one that I knew, and he hasn't done of the stuff that Malfoy did, so he shouldn't be blamed. My dad even said that he and my mum are kind of friends with his parents! It's just hard to remember that when I see him with his arm around Hermione." He frowned, noticing that Ginny's eyes had filled with tears. "What? What's wrong?"

"Nothing." Ginny lifted her hand and wiped her eyes. "Oh, Harry. It's just... hearing you talk about your mom and dad. I never thought that I'd see the day."

Lily herself choose that moment to walk into the living room. Harry dropped Ginny's hands immediately and stepped away from her. Ginny blinked furiously to get rid of her tears and turned her warmest smile onto Harry's mother. Lily smiled back at her, but Harry noticed that she was darting curious looks between him and Ginny. Clearly, she hadn't been expecting to walk in on them holding hands, and he was relieved that she hadn't entered a moment earlier, when they were embracing. Then he really would have have had some questions to answer!

"Your friends have left so soon, Harry?" she asked.

"Yes, Mum. They all had somewhere to be," he explained. It was the easiest answer, and he didn't feel like going into the fact that he had had a fight with Ron. "Ginny was just leaving, too."

"It was lovely to see you and your husband again, Professor Potter," Ginny murmured, looking like she was having a hard time keeping from crying. Harry glanced at her, relieved that she had either heard or figured out that Lily worked as a professor at Hogwarts. She didn't notice; she was gazing at Lily as though expecting the woman to disappear. "You have a wonderful home."

"Thank you, Ginny," Lily said. "Harry, I just wanted to let you know that it's almost time for you to take some of your potions again."

"Okay," Harry said. Lily turned and disappeared, seeming to catch the mental hint he had been sending. He looked down at Ginny and told her, "I have to take potions because of this coma curse I was supposedly under. Of course, now I wonder if I need them at all. You look fine."

"_I_ have a whole life I don't remember," Ginny answered, stepping towards the door and opening it. "I envy you, even if you do have to take a few disgusting potions. At least no one expects you to remember fifteen years of things that never happened!"

Harry smiled. "True. I'll see you tomorrow, then." Somehow, he was reluctant to see her go. He didn't have to watch what he said around Ginny. Making the resolution to forget about Voldemort and Death Eaters and just be normal had been more of a strain that he'd thought. Being around someone who had experienced everything, almost as much as Ron and Hermione, was refreshing.

"Definitely." She closed the door behind her, leaving him alone. Harry stood by himself in the living room and sighed, feeling overwhelmed by everything that had transpired in the past few hours. The day had not turned out like he had expected. Although he had known that Ron and Hermione would be different, he hadn't even imagined by just how much. No wonder Lia and Lily had given him those strange looks when he mentioned being friends with them! And now that he knew about Ginny, there were so many questions that had the potential to be answered. He suspected that she didn't entirely know just what was going on, but whatever it was, he resolved, he and Ginny were going to find out.

* * *

Next chapter: Harry and Ginny talk, and then they visit Diagon Alley with Draco and Hermione.


	5. Chapter 5

A/N: I apologize for the wait, first of all. Second, I know I said the Diagon Alley visit would be this chapter, but I came up with something far more interesting. You'll likely see that scene in another chapter. Third, I was asked about "Cliffside", the town Lily and James now live in. It's not a real place, so looking for it on a map is useless. I didn't bother looking up a real place because it's easier for me to not be concerned about those kinds of details (just getting everything in the HP-verse right is a lot of concern). If you want to know, it's a medium-sized place about a half hour's drive from where they catch the Hogwarts Express.

* * *

It was nearly one in the afternoon, and Harry sat in the Quidditch Patch outside of Potter Pound, enjoying the sun and trying not to stare openly at his watch. A good twenty feet above him, Jon and Anna tossed a Quaffle back and forth, each aiming to score on the other. For a couple of eight year olds, both of them were already remarkably skilled, and he could easily envision a future for them on the Quidditch teams of Hogwarts. Anna would be a fabulous chaser with a bit of training, and Jon had the skills to become an excellent keeper. Clearly, Quidditch ran in the Potter blood. He almost felt sorry for Lia, who had inherited a deep hatred of flying from her mother.

Ginny had owled the night before to tell him that she would arrive by half past one at the latest. Their plans to go to Diagon Alley with Malfoy and Hermione had been derailed by Lily's announcement that they would be hosting a "small party" that day so that some people could meet Harry. He had invited Hermione and Malfoy along instead, but he wasn't at all sure they would show. Hell, if the party wasn't being thrown by his own parents, he probably wouldn't have shown. Harry hated parties with a passion.

The back door swung open and he glanced up, straightening when he saw Ginny coming out. It was difficult to ignore the way his heart did a flip when she looked in his direction, but he sternly told himself it was just relief over the fact that she had arrived before the party began. He lifted his hand and waved her over. She walked over him to him and smiled in greeting, plucking at the edge of her yellow tank top.

"Hi Harry."

"Hey Gin," he said, patting the spot beside him. She sat, folding her legs beneath her gracefully. "How are you?"

"I've been bloody well better," Ginny said wryly. "I suspect the same goes for you."

Formalities over with, Harry turned towards her, eager for answers. "Why didn't you tell me?" he asked quietly, trying not to show the hurt that he was feeling. "When you came in..."

Ginny sighed and flipped her hair over her shoulder. "I didn't want to tell you at all. Harry, I have no idea what's going on. How was I supposed to know that your parents weren't Death Eaters in disguise? If _you_ weren't a Death Eater? The only thing I was told was that you'd woken from this curse and now you were asking for Ron and Hermione. For all I knew, they had imperio'd you and anything I told you would be reported back to... whoever has done this. Besides that, I've got nothing to tell you. I'm at as much of a loss as you are, except that I'm not allowed to admit it."

"Then what changed your mind? Did you just slip up?"

Her left shoulder rose and fell in a shrug. "Seeing you," she said finally. "I couldn't... I knew it was you as soon as we spoke. It seemed cruel to keep up the charade after that. I would've told you if you hadn't figured it out."

"So you were the letter writer, then?"

Shyly, she offered him a tiny smile. "It seems rather silly now. But it _was_ the easiest way to get into contact with you. When you first woke up, no one was allowed to see you except for Hogwarts staff and your parents. I have no history with you here, so I didn't even bother to ask, and Evangeline knows her way around Hogwarts."

Harry looked at her speculatively. "Why didn't you explain in the letters? Why the cryptic warnings?"

"Please!" Ginny mocked, grinning. Her golden eyes sparkled mischievously. "What incites the Golden Trio more than a puzzle? I knew that my letters would be on your mind if I kept myself secret and just expressed what little I knew. If I had identified myself, it would've been much easier for you to dismiss me outright."

"You're evil," he grumbled.

She punched him in the arm and snickered. "I'd never have taken you for a sulker, Potter."

He caught her hand and held it, enjoying the feel of her smaller, more delicate fingers. "I'm glad you're here, Ginny," he said softly, looking into her eyes. "I was very lonely without someone who understands."

A faint blush appeared on Ginny's cheeks. "I'm glad I'm here, too, Harry," she responded, "I just wish – "

"What? What's wrong?" Harry said when she stopped talking abruptly. She didn't continue, just kept staring over his shoulder. He twisted to look in the same direction and saw that Lily, James, Remus, Orion, Arabella, and Sirius had just stepped out of the house. Remus took out his wand and waved it in the direction of the nearby trees. Several of them changed into a dining table and chairs. Arabella, Lily, and Orion began floating dishes of food onto the table, clearly preparing for the party that was about to begin, while James and Sirius started to create a few decorations. Nothing overly interesting, but Harry could tell that Ginny was fixated on just one thing. Or rather, just one _person_.

"It's him, Gin." He squeezed her hand gently, aware of the stricken look on her face. Her free hand had flown over her mouth, and tears shone in her eyes. "Really."

"Merlin..." she whispered, the color draining from her cheeks. Harry made his decision and got up, pulling her up as well. Ginny leaned on him heavily as they walked towards the group, never moving her eyes from Sirius.

"He's a professor at Hogwarts, too, can you believe it?" he said into her ear. Apparently, she could, or else she wasn't listening, because she didn't answer. Instead, she broke away from him and approached the adults. Harry stopped and watched curiously as she went straight over to Sirius and stood in front of him, giving him a full examination. Sirius noticed her and raised an eyebrow, giving her an odd look. Ginny smiled wanly.

"Professor Black, forgive me," she said, and threw her arms around Sirius. Sirius looked completely shocked by the unexpected embrace, but recovered enough to pat her awkwardly on the back. Harry hid his smile and moved around to stand next to Remus, who was gazing on with an inquisitive expression. He couldn't really blame Ginny for what she had done; after all, hadn't he done exactly the same when he had come out of his so-called coma? In fact, he mentally applauded her for letting go as soon as she did, which was just minutes after she latched on.

"It's alright," said Sirius, an odd look on his face. "Are you... uh, okay, Miss Weasley?"

Ginny laughed. Her eyes, Harry saw, had once again filled with tears. "Okay," she choked out. "_Okay_! By Merlin, Sirius, whatever happened is worth it to have you here. Thank Godric that he did what he did."

Harry reached her then, wrapping an arm around her shoulders and hustling her off before she could say another word to further flummox the adults. Behind a nearby grove of trees, Ginny burst into tears, covering her face with her hands and sobbing into his shirt. He hugged her gently, laying his head on soft her hair. The amount of stress she must have under was undoubtedly phenomenal, Harry realized, lightly stroking her back in a comforting fashion. His own introduction to the new world had been immensely difficult, and no one was even expecting him to know anything.

In time, Ginny's tears slowed, although she didn't pull away. Harry was just as glad; he was perfectly content to stand there and hold her in his arms. He closed his eyes and remembered the old world, in which he never would have considered hugging Ginny Weasley the way he was now. It was a little unsettling to discover how well they fit together. But this was the new world, and she was all he had.

"I'm sorry," Ginny muttered at last. "I shouldn't have..."

"Relax, Gin. I'm amazed you managed to let go as quickly as you did. I clung to him for a good fifteen minutes and hovered even once I let go. I was terrified that he would disappear."

"I made myself," she admitted. "It was strange enough that I hugged him in the first place. He's supposed to be my professor that I don't know very well, remember? I'm sure he thinks I'm daft. But I couldn't help myself. I never even thought about... I mean, the very idea seemed too good to be true."

He sighed and glanced around, making sure that no one was spying. "Yes, well, that rather describes everything in this world, doesn't it?"

"We have to figure out what's going on, Harry."

"I know. I just don't know _how_." His frustration was evident. "We can't even ask for help because to everyone else, this is the way it's supposed to be and always has been."

"I don't even know why it's different for me."

"I know why it's different for me," Harry said with accustomed bitterness. Once more, someone had chosen to meddle in the fate of the Boy-Who-Lived. Would he ever have a chance to be free of what other people wanted? Ginny's head rose from where it had been cushioned against his chest. A sympathetic look was written on her face. "But you're right. Somehow, the fact that you remember too... that does seem like the key..."

"The key to what?" James asked, poking his head around a tree. Harry practically leapt backwards. He hadn't even realized that he was still holding onto Ginny until his father made an appearance. A wicked grin spread across James' face as he said, "I had wondered if you two would like to join us, unless you're _busy_, Harry."

"I'll never heard the end of this," he mumbled to Ginny, sorry that their talk had been interrupted. She giggled and performed a quick charm to remove the last trace of tears from her face as they followed James out into the backyard. Harry's eyes widened when he saw it. Every inch of the Quidditch Patch was now filled with people. He caught sight of Orion speaking to Professor McGonagall, Sirius and Remus involved with what looked to be a heated debate, and his mother ordering Jon and Anna down off of their brooms. "Bloody hell. I absolutely hate parties."

"No one knows you're the Golden Boy," Ginny said quietly.

"That's true," Harry said slowly, glancing nervously in the direction of the guests. None of them appeared to have seen him. Yet. "But I've just awoken from that damned coma, right? I still stand out way too much."

"Can't have everything."

Harry directed a glare in her direction, only to realize that she likely hadn't even seen it. He had been spotted, and a wave of eager witches and wizards were bearing down on him to offer greetings and congratulations. Nervously and wishing that he were better at small talk, Harry spoke hesitantly to each for a moment. It did prove to be different from his old world in that, once he had talked with most of them, they lost interest and wandered away. The only ones who lingered for a few minutes were those close to his parents, like the Longbottoms – Harry nearly fainted upon coming face to face with Frank, Alice, and a beaming Neville – and a cousin of James' that he had never known existed.

It was a relief to spot Hermione and Malfoy, which almost brought him up short – since when was he ever glad to see Malfoy? – but he made his way to them and stood next to Malfoy, trying to catch his breath. It was hard to believe that even a Quidditch patch could accommodate quite so many people. Hermione smiled shyly at him, looking pleased that he had made the effort to come see them. Once again, her hair was styled to perfection, and this time her pale green dress complimented the gray shirt and darker green slacks Malfoy was wearing.

"Hello, Harry," she said.

"Hermione, Malfoy," he answered, trying very hard to look like he was not using Malfoy as a shield between he and the other guests. "Bloody hell, Malfoy, stay still."

Malfoy laughed. "You can't hide forever. Don't you want to meet them? It's been the talk of Diagon Alley for days," he said, sounding rather amused. There was no trace of spite in his voice as he went on. "My parents couldn't attend, but they send their regrets."

"Duly noted," Harry murmured, relieved that he would not have to play nice with Lucius and Narcissa Malfoy. "I'll have to meet them some other time, I suppose."

"Are you coming to Hogwarts in September, Harry?" Hermione questioned eagerly, changing the subject without warning. Her brown eyes were glowing and she suddenly looked very young and pretty. "I'd love to hear more about the coma curse you were put under. Magic is so fascinating."

A wave of warmth went through Harry. Here was his wise, curious friend at last. He had so hoped that Hermione was still there underneath the beauty, and it seemed that she was. "I will be," he told her. "I suspect I'll be going into my sixth year. I got a full education in my coma world, you know."

"Really?" As Hermione began to pepper him with questions, Harry took a quick look around. Most of the guests were now gathered in small groups chatting. He caught sight of Lily talking to the Longbottoms and James with Sirius fighting over something at the dessert table while an exasperated Remus tried to mediate. But he didn't see Orion or Arabella, nor Ginny, and he made it a point to scan the crowds for her. Where had she gone? Had she left? Merlin, he hoped not. They had a lot more to talk about.

"No, I don't know all of the professors," he said. "My parents weren't alive in my world, so the subjects they teach were taught by other people."

Hermione stopped and her expression softened. "You must have been happy to wake up."

"I was, for the most part," Harry said, his gaze flicking between her and Malfoy. The longer he stood there with them, the more normal it seemed for Malfoy to have his arm around Hermione's shoulders. It was a positively eerie sensation. "There are a couple of things that are different that I wish weren't. Ron, for example."

"You were friends with Weasley?" Malfoy asked.

"He was different in my world." Harry knew he sounded defensive. How was he to explain Ron to someone who had _never_ liked him, no matter which world they were in? Even if it was the truth. Ron had always been quick to temper, but never to the point that he had been in this world. And he couldn't help recalling Ginny's comments towards her brother. "He was one of my best friends."

"You must have had an enormous effect on him, Harry," Hermione said, smiling.

The words "and on you, too" threatened to pop out of his mouth. With effort, he swallowed them, instead settling for returning her smile. Explaining how Hermione had been in his world didn't sound like a good idea, particularly when he studied her and realized how very happy she looked in _this_ world. Harry dropped his gaze and turned again to look out at the Quidditch Patch. Had the Hermione in his world been lacking for something? Shaking his head, he ran a hand through his hair. Stupid question. Voldemort's presence had caused them_ all_ to lack something.

"Speaking of Hogwarts professors, was Professor Riddle in your world?" asked Malfoy.

Harry froze. "What?"

"Professor Riddle," Malfoy repeated. "Tom Riddle? He's a wonderful teacher. Really makes Arithmancy seem like a worthwhile subject."

"He doesn't teach Defence Against the Dark Arts?" Harry asked dazedly, trying to sort out his thoughts. Had he just heard Malfoy say that Tom Riddle was teaching at Hogwarts? Surely, the blonde must have been referring to another Tom Riddle. By Godric, he hoped so.

"No," said Hermione, shaking her head. "Professor Black teaches Defence."

"He has an expressed an interest in it, though," Malfoy observed. "But Dumbledore is happy with the job is Black doing. Plus I think half the female population at Hogwarts would cry if Black ever left."

Hermione giggled. "He is very popular," she said fondly.

"Not popular with you, I hope."

Her smile was sly, and she traced the contours of his face with a slender finger. "No one could ever be more popular with me than you."

"That's him, there," Malfoy said suddenly, grabbing Hermione's finger and pressing a kiss against it. Harry followed his gaze and felt the ground beneath him move. Tom Riddle, looking exactly as he had during the experience in the Chamber of Secrets save for a few years, had just appeared and was striding onto the grounds. But no one was screaming or running – indeed, it appeared as though Riddle was being welcomed, judging by the smiles he was receiving.

"Are you alright, Harry?" Hermione said, alarmed. Malfoy quickly gripped Harry's arm to keep him on his feet. Harry was grateful for the blond's firm hold. "You looked like you were going to collapse."

"I'm okay. I just... knew him..."

"Oh," Hermione murmured, exchanging a glance with Malfoy. It was obvious that they thought he'd been close with Riddle and that the man had died. Harry was willing to let them think this. There was no opportunity to go into the real situation. "Maybe you should go say hello."

"I'll do that," Harry said weakly, his heart hammering in his chest. For he had finally spotted Ginny, and she was staring at Riddle with an expression of pure terror. Riddle was bearing down on her, heading straight in the direction of the redhead. "Excuse me."

Without further word to either of them, Harry threw himself into the crowd he had been trying so hard to escape only a half hour before. Several people tried to speak to him as he went by, but Harry ignored them completely. His entire focus was Riddle, who had the audacity to look as though he belonged here. He was now completely certain that Riddle – Voldemort? – had something to do with the coma curse, but he wasn't sure what. The only thing he was sure of was that he didn't want Riddle anywhere around Ginny or his parents and he hurried, struggling to push through without being extremely rude but aware that Riddle had reached Ginny and was now standing in front of her.

"Hello again, Miss Weasley," Riddle said, sounding surprisingly pleasant. "Are you alright? You look ill."

"She's fine." Harry burst out of the crowd and wrapped a protective arm around Ginny. Now that he was next to her, he could feel how hard her body was trembling. "It's just very warm out here today. Ginny, I think we should go inside for a bit, okay?"

Ginny didn't answer. Her face was ashen and she was looking at Riddle, but he could tell that she wasn't really seeing him. Her gaze was distant. Harry held her close and glanced up at Riddle, furious and seething at the fact that he dared to show up. What kind of game did the man think he was playing? As though sensing his thoughts, Riddle gave him a slow smile. There was nothing about him that gave any warning as to how dangerous he had the potential to be – if he wasn't already. Black hair, extremely pricey robes, calm composure... and sky blue eyes that just, for one moment, flashed crimson.

Harry flinched, breaking the eye contact, and wondered if that had really happened or if his imagination had gone into overdrive. He stiffened and turned towards the house, keeping his body between Riddle and Ginny. As much as he hated the thought of Riddle being anywhere near innocent people, he had to get away from the man before he snapped and said something he would later regret, or before his magic got out of control. Without a wand, he hadn't cast a spell in several days, and he could feel his magic cackling dangerously, just waiting to be released.

"It was nice to meet you, Mr Potter," Riddle said to his back.

"And you," Harry forced out, not bothering to glance at the man. He steered Ginny towards the house and inside, where the air was blessedly cooler. There were a few people in the kitchen, so Harry continued on, heading up the stairs into his bedroom and closing the door behind them. Taking a deep breath, he leaned against the door, belatedly realizing that his own hands were shaking slightly. "Ginny, are you okay?"

Still looking rather shell-shocked, Ginny sat down slowly on the bed. "That was... it was him, wasn't it."

It wasn't a question, but he felt compelled to answer anyway. "Yes. It was."

"You shouldn't have left him down there with your parents, Harry," Ginny said, beginning to sound more like herself. Harry sagged in relief.

"I didn't want to, but I had to get you away from him. Besides..." He walked across the room and looked out the window at the party below. Would his parents be angry at him for ducking out so soon? "I don't think he could do anything even if he was still evil. I mean, look at all of the people. And apparently he's a professor at Hogwarts, so he's had plenty of opportunity in the past."

"As though Voldemort would give any thought towards innocent people," she said bitterly. Harry glanced at her. In spite of the anger in her voice, tears had begun to roll down her cheeks.

"Gin, are you sure you're alright?"

"I just... when I saw him, I couldn't help remembering the way he was at the Chamber." Ginny shut her eyes tightly and pressed her hands to her ears, as though trying to block out an unpleasant sound. "My wand in his hands... His plans to destroy you and everyone... The way he laughed when he stood over me..."

Harry approached the bed and sat down beside her, once again wrapping an arm around her shoulders. It was all the comfort he knew how to give. She leaned against him and shuddered, clutching at his shirt. "I hate him even more than Voldemort," she whispered, shaking all over. "I don't even know if that's possible since they're the same person, but knowing that such a source of evil originated in someone who could look so... so..."

"Innocent? Normal?" Harry said. He had been thinking the same thing. "I just don't understand. Riddle was born... Merlin, it must have been a good fifty years ago or more. By this point in our world, he'd already been Voldemort for years. How is it that he's here and that he looks so young? He looks the same age as my parents."

"Do you think he's still evil?"

His thoughts went immediately to the brief crimson glare. Harry knew for a fact, even though he had no proof, that Tom Riddle was still a dangerous and psychotic man. "Yes, I do. And he's no friend to either of us, no matter how kindly he might try to act."

"But no one knows who Voldemort is, here, and I haven't heard anything about attacks."

"That doesn't mean anything. I'm sure it took a while for the first Voldemort to work himself up to the terror he was." Harry shivered at the thought of it happening all over again. "He knows something. He made a beeline for you as soon as he came in. It's like he knew that you would be frightened."

"Or that you would try to come over," Ginny said, her voice small.

Both equally possible, and most likely true, he felt. "I hate the thought that he teaches at Hogwarts. It was the one place that Voldemort could never get to."

"Dumbledore is still there."

"Except now he knows nothing of the danger." Harry sighed. "Ginny, how did you know that Voldemort was still around?"

Her body stiffened slightly. "What?"

"In the letters that you wrote, you said that Voldemort was still here and that I shouldn't trust anyone who had been a Death Eater. How did you know?"

Ginny tried to pull away, but Harry held on, refusing to let go. She was blushing. "I didn't know," she admitted. "Not for sure. I was worried you would let your guard down in a world that seemed to be so innocent and be vulnerable if someone decided to attack. After all, who else could it be? Who else would cause such a dramatic change to the world? Because make no mistake, this would have taken a lot of power to do, to affect everyone. It's not just a dream. It's real. Tom Riddle is alive and no one knows of the dangers he could inflict. What more could he ask for?"

Harry tried not to show the affect her words had. Chills ran up and down his spine as he imagined the destruction and chaos that might be coming. "We have to stop it before he does anything. He won't do to this world what he did to the last one. I won't let him."

"Even in the new world, you _still_ have a hero complex."

"Funny." Harry released her in order to stretch out on his bed. After a moment's hesitation, Ginny joined him and picked up his little stuffed animal. "Seriously. I think we have to watch him closely. I don't know what's going on, but... I want to know when he plans to do something."

"I wish we could ask Hermione," Ginny said, setting the lion on her stomach. "I bet she would know, or at least have some idea of where we should start looking for an explanation."

"She probably still would," Harry agreed. "But I don't know if I want to. That would mean explaining everything about Voldemort."

"I really hope you're not expecting a witch and a wizard to stand up against one of the worst Dark Lords in the history of world, Harry. That's a tall order even for the Boy-Who-Lived."

"No, but... They're so happy here, Ginny. I feel bad for destroying any part of that."

"You're not destroying that, Harry, he is," Ginny said softly, sitting up and look down at him. Her hair fell around them like a curtain. "I just don't see how we can do this alone."

Neither did Harry, but he didn't want to admit it. He just reached out an arm and pulled her down so that her head was on his shoulder. She protested the movement at first, but soon fell silent as he absently began stroking her hair again. It felt good to lay there with Ginny and not think about the menace that was wandering through his backyard with his family and friends. Harry knew that he would have to come up with a plan to figure out what Riddle was up to and soon, but just then his mind had gone completely blank. Perhaps Ginny was right; maybe it was time to let a few people – like Hermione and even Malfoy – in on what was going on.

* * *

Coming up: Ginny and Harry have a talk with Hermione and Draco, plus, Harry meets the rest of the Weasley's.


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N:** It's come to my attention that a few people don't care for the Draco/Hermione pairing. I'm sorry to say, but if you want to read the story, you have to live with it. One of my friends and I have a deal – she does H/G and I do D/Hr. Who knows... if you give it a shot, you might even like it! I promise that there won't be any "Ron bashing", as someone has already accused me of. I had no idea that saying someone has a temper and has the ability to be a rash jerk (all things which I believe are true of Ron, no matter how sweet he can be) is bashing. Interesting. Regardless, this is the way it will be.

* * *

"So who is she?"

Harry looked up from his meal and paused, blinking at the twinkling blue eyes of his father. James was hovering over the table with a look of pure mischief that caused him to swallow hard, realizing that the eggs in his mouth didn't taste as good as they had two minutes ago. "Who?" he asked, baffled but knowing that _that_ expression on the face of a Marauder could not mean anything good for the intended victim.

"That girl you were with in the Ash Grove," James replied, his grin becoming more prominent when Harry choked on the apple juice he was drinking. "And the one your mother found you lying with on your bed yesterday. Ginny Weasley, isn't it? My boy, you do move fast. I'm so proud."

"It's not like that," Harry blurted, hating the fact that he_ knew_ he was blushing. Quickly he looked down, avoiding the all-too-knowing gaze. He really should have been more careful the night before, but it wasn't like he had _meant _to fall asleep. Quite the opposite. One minute he had been staring up at his bedroom ceiling contemplating Tom Riddle, and the next Lily had been shaking him awake. It had been one of the best sleeps that he had ever had, but of course, he had no intention of mentioning that to his father. "Ginny is just... my friend. That's all."

"Your friend," he repeated, sliding into the seat across from his son with ease. "So when I came across the two of you hugging, that was..."

His face flaming, Harry stabbed a bit of bacon with particular force and said through gritted teeth, "She was just upset, that's all. I was... comforting... her." He could feel the weight of his father's gaze on the top of his head and fought back a sigh. If only he and Ginny had been a bit more careful! How could he possibly explain this to his parents?

"Harry, I don't mean to tease you," James said quietly, "Actually, your mother and I are pleased with how quickly you seem to be making friends. We had worried that you might have a difficult time adjusting to how different things are here in comparison to your dream world. If you like Ginny, there's nothing wrong with that. From my experience at Hogwarts, she seems to be a very nice young girl."

Harry smiled briefly, knowing that in all truth, James had never really met Ginny – at least, not the Ginny that he wanted to be around. Ginny had awoken in this world as abruptly as Harry had, and she had no memory of the life that she had lived in this world before that moment. "She is," he agreed, not sure how else to respond.

"We just don't want you to become too attached too quickly, that's all. You haven't been awake for very long."

"But I like Ginny," Harry said, frowning slightly. "I _want_ to be with her." Too late, he realized how that statement might sound, and he backpedalled. "I mean, not like – like _that_ – but she's my friend. She makes me feel like... like I'm not weird."

"You're not weird," James said firmly, pushing his glasses up his nose.

"But sometimes I feel like I am," he answered honestly, surprised at himself. Even though it was the last thing he wanted to do, he forced himself to meet James' eyes. "There are so many things I don't recognize in this world. Everything is new to me, even with people that I knew in my... in my world." He couldn't quite bring himself to call it a "dream" any more. "With Ginny, that doesn't matter."

James softened. "I'm glad you've found someone like that, Harry. I really am. I've noticed that you seem to be getting along with Hermione Granger and Draco Malfoy as well."

"They appeared to be very different from how they were in my world," he acknowledged. "I couldn't believe it at first. But now I'm realizing that maybe... that doesn't matter as much as I thought."

"And Ron Weasley? You were quite eager to meet with him as well."

Harry tensed at the mention of Ron. "I haven't really had much chance to speak with him," he mumbled, finishing off the last of his apple juice.

"You'll get a chance today. Mrs Weasley has invited you to her house." At Harry's surprised expression, James smiled a little and said, "The Weasleys are friends with Albus and your mother and I have taught many of their children at Hogwarts. Molly and Arthur are very nice people, and you need to start leaving the house, Harry, to get used to the wizarding world as it is now. Since you already know Ginny and Ron, Lily thought it would be a good place to start."

"Didn't I meet enough new people yesterday?"

"It won't be like that again," James promised. "I'm sorry if you felt a little overwhelmed. What was supposed to be a relatively small party turned into a much bigger gathering than we had anticipated once word got out. Molly has promised that no one except for family will be present when you visit today."

He had to grin. "I'm not sure that really means much in terms of how many people will be there, Dad," he said.

James laughed and stood up. "True, but Lily thinks it will be good for you, and if there's one thing you should know, it's that your mother is not a witch to be crossed."

"Duly noted," Harry said agreeably, rising as well. He carried his plate and glass over to the sink and set them down. It felt odd to just leave them there without cleaning them; it was one thing to do so at Hogwarts, but it had been ingrained in him to clean up after himself everywhere else. Reluctantly, he backed off, knowing that Lily would spell them clean with a flick of her wand, and turned to his father. "When do I leave?"

"Now," James answered. "I'll be going with you. I have some things to discuss with Arthur on behalf of Albus."

"Will we be Flooing there?" Harry asked, trying not to grimace at the thought. He was no better at flooing in this world than he had been in the last. What was it with wizards and the way they got around? The only one that was halfway decent was flying, and even that could take ages.

"Actually, we'll be apparating."

The two of them entered into the foyer. James reached out and gripped Harry's shoulder, pulling him into a half-turn that made the world go fuzzy and dark and _loud_. Immense pressure squeezed him from all sides and he gasped as the world slammed back into sharp focus with a jolt that nearly caused him to lose his balance. He would have fallen if it weren't for his father's hold. As it was, a feeling of such dizziness swam over him that he had to lean against the older man for a moment in a daze.

"Are you alright?" James pressed a hand against his check. The touch actually helped to orient Harry and he found himself able to open his eyes without feeling like he was going to pass out.

"I think so," he responded, "I've never done that before. Can't say I'm going to develop much taste for it."

James smiled. "It's much less disorienting when you're the one doing it. Now you know why portkeys were invented instead of side-along apparition always being used."

"I'm not sure portkeys are that much better," Harry said truthfully. He glanced up and his eyes widened when he caught sight of the house standing about twenty feet away from them. The Burrow looked completely identical to how he remembered. It was such a familiar sight that he could hardly believe it.

James began walking towards the house and Harry hurried to keep up. The first person to spot them was Ron. Or at least, Harry _thought_ it was Ron, but he wasn't really certain. The boy standing in the doorway was green from head to toe, with silver hair and eyes. Harry stared at him in amazement, doing his best to keep from laughing. This had to be the work of the twins, and he was happy that at least some people would never change. His father just let out a long sigh and shook his head, but Harry could see amusement dancing in his eyes.

"The twins?" James asked, readying his wand. "_Finite Incantatem_!"

Ron huffed when the spell failed to have any effect. "Thanks for trying, Professor," he grumbled. "But you know what Fred and George are like. No way would a spell work that easily. They said it would wear off in a couple of hours, but I'm not sure I believe that."

"Where's your father?"

"Out back." Nodding, James stepped past the green boy and disappeared into the house, leaving Harry and Ron alone. Harry glanced at his friend, then looked away. Ron sighed.

"I'm sorry," he said uncomfortably. "About fighting with Malfoy and Granger in your house. I got in trouble when we got home and Ginny told Mum what I'd done. It was... rude of me to attack a guest when I was also a guest." He shook his head and sighed. "Malfoy is just... such a_ git_. I really don't understand what Granger sees in him!"

Harry turned to him, surprised. Even with those few simple words, he could tell that Ron was starting to get worked up. "To be honest, neither did I," Harry admitted, adjusting his glasses. "In my world, we didn't... like Malfoy very much."

"Really?" Ron's blue eyes brightened. "Then maybe you'll have a few ideas for driving him away from Granger."

"Why do you care so much?" he asked, puzzled. "Didn't you call her a slut?"

A blush spread across Ron's cheeks, causing his face to turn an interesting shade of purplish blue. "I... er... Well... I didn't really mean it," he said awkwardly. "It just... makes me so mad when I see her cuddling up to that prat..."

"You_ like_ her!" Harry exclaimed suddenly, chuckling when Ron looked even more embarrassed. He would have recognized that look on Ron's face no matter what world he was in. "I have to tell you, mate, the way to a girl's heart is not by attacking her _and_ her boyfriend."

"I know that," Ron said crossly. "But she won't give me a chance!"

Harry found himself thinking about the happiness that fairly glowed in Hermione's brown eyes whenever Malfoy was around and sighed. "Sorry to tell you this, but I don't see that happening at any point in the future. I know the Hermione here isn't the same as the one in my world, but when she gets an idea in her head, it sticks. I doubt Mione would get rid of Malfoy just because you or I told her to."

Ron sighed and ran a hand through his silver hair. "I didn't think so, but it was worth a shot." He glanced over his shoulder. "Come on in, anyway. Mum's been really anxious to meet you."

"Thanks." Harry stepped into the house and looked around curiously. As far as he could tell, it was decorated similarly to the Burrow that he knew, except that nothing looked as worn or faded as he remembered. Most of the furniture seemed to be fairly new. "Is Ginny here?"

"Yeah, she'll be down in a minute," said Ron. He paused for a moment. "Do you like my sister?"

A blush crossed Harry's face. That was the second time in a day that someone had asked about his and Ginny's relationship, and it only got more mortifying with time. "She's my friend," he said hoarsely, deciding that relying on the excuse he'd given his father was the best answer. "She's... pretty much the same to how she was in my world and I like that. It makes me feel like things haven't changed as much as they really have."

"I guess I can understand that." Ron nodded, looking more relaxed than Harry would have expected, considering that he was green and silver.

Molly Weasley made her appearance at that moment, with two floating trays right behind her. She took one look at Ron and groaned with exasperation. "Again, Ron? Don't you know better than to accept anything your brothers give you?"

Ron blushed. The effect was most interesting on green skin. "Fred promised that it was safe," he protested.

"We don't remember – "

"Promising that – "

"Dear brother – "

"You must have – "

"Heard wrong."

Two completely innocent-sounding voices spoke in perfect unison. Harry grinned as Fred and George entered the room, both wearing identical smirks. Ron glowered at the two of them and crossed his arms, grumbling under his breath. Molly shook her head at the twins and began scolding them, though it didn't seem to have much effect, judging by the enormous grins the twins wore. Arthur, who picked that moment to walk into the room with James, just shook his head and picked up a mug off of one of the trays.

"Just like home, huh?" a soft voice asked behind him, and Harry chuckled.

"You could say that," he agreed, grinning at Ginny. "I don't know if it's comforting or terrifying to know that Fred and George will never change."

Ginny paused, looking very serious. "That depends," she declared. "Are you accepting food from them?"

Harry laughed outright and took one of the mugs that Molly offered him. He sipped at the steaming orange liquid inside and discovered that it was hot pumpkin juice, spiced with something he couldn't identify, but delicious all the same. Ginny contented herself with a glass of some red liquid and sat down beside him on the couch. Knowing that they were being watched by practically every male eye in the room, Harry made sure there was a decent amount of space between them, even as he leaned closer so that no one would be able to hear what he was saying. He didn't want anyone else getting the wrong idea about the friendship that he and Ginny had.

"Do they still run a joke shop?" he asked curiously.

"As far as I can tell. Honestly, I don't think the twins could do anything else," she whispered back. "Though since you never gave them your winnings, I think they've begun on a smaller scale. Mum mentioned something about Zonkos, so maybe they're working there."

"What about everyone else?"

"I don't know about Percy or Bill," she answered. "I can't exactly ask what everyone does. I'm supposed to know this stuff, remember?"

He nodded. "I'll ask."

She shot him a smile and said, "Dad still works for the Ministry and Charlie's in Romania, I know that much. There are just some things that will never change."

"Tell me about it," Harry said, twisting around when he heard a loud popping sound. James gave a strangled squeak and turned into an enormous pink bunny. Everyone in the room burst into laughter as the angry bunny began stalking the hysterical twins. He shared an amused look with Ginny and shook his head, reaching for her arm and taking the chance to speak quietly when everyone else was distracted. "I want to meet with Mione and Malfoy tomorrow about... that."

Ginny took a deep breath. "Alright. If you think that's best."

"I think we can't handle it on our own, and the last thing I want is to give him free reign in this world. I don't think we have a choice," Harry replied, sipping from his pumpkin juice. He'd missed the tangy taste more than he'd expected.

"Who's he?" Ron asked. Harry jumped. He hadn't noticed that the now redheaded boy was standing right behind he and Ginny. "And what do you mean, giving him free reign in this world?"

"It's none of your business," Ginny said shortly, though her hand shook slightly as she placed her glass on the coffee table. There was fear in her eyes when she glanced at Harry, something he understood all too well. It was extremely unpleasant to remember that no one here knew about Voldemort. In their world, it would have been immediately obvious as to who they were speaking about. "Don't you have to get going, Harry?"

"Yeah, I do," he said, grateful for the out. "If you're finished, Dad." He glanced at the bunny, which stopped hopping after the twins and instead hopped in Harry's direction.

"It'll wear off in a couple of hours," said one of the twins.

"Maybe," added the other, and both of them cackled.

"It better," said Ron, who was staring at Ginny and Harry suspiciously. "Unless you want a visit from his wife."

Both twins gulped and paled slightly. Harry couldn't help being pleased by the thought of them being frightened of Lily Potter and gathered his father into his arms – he was pretty sure that the potion really would wear off in a few hours, as it was rarely in the twins to be truly cruel, merely annoying. As he straightened, he took the chance to rest a hand on Ginny's shoulder, wishing that they were alone so that he could comfort her more. She flashed him a faint smile in response and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear.

"Thank you for the drink and snacks," he said to Molly, who beamed at him and gave him a quick hug while murmuring in his ear that it had been a pleasure. The twins made a move towards him, but Harry wisely backed off, unwilling to get too close to the pranksters. Arthur clapped him on the shoulder, clearly thinking of this as a wise move, and offered him a container of Floo Powder. Harry took a pinch, threw it into the fireplace, stepped inside, and was whisked away.

* * *

**A/N:** I've decided that I'll start writing shorter chapters and hopefully posting more frequently. I apologize for how long it took for me to get this up. I wasn't quite sure where I wanted to take it. Now I have a better idea. Please review!


	7. Chapter 7

A/N: Here we go with chapter seven. The story is finally starting to get into the "true plot". A couple people said they were concerned I had abandoned this story, and don't worry – I didn't. I was just very involved with a lot of other real life stuff. I also wanted to make it clear that there won't be any Ron bashing in the story. Eventually, he will come around to being a part of the group. It will just take a little while.

* * *

Diagon Alley looked pretty much the same in both worlds, a fact that didn't really surprise Harry much, yet left him feeling comforted. He had only nodded curtly to the barkeep before heading out back, where he waited for Lily to tap the bricks in the familiar order. Harry watched the magical street come into view before him and felt like it was the first time all over again. It was impossible to get tired of the sight. He glanced fondly at the Quidditch shop, recalling his Firebolt, and wondered if there was a chance that he'd be able to visit.

"I know you're meeting your friends at one, so we'll go and get your wand," said Lily, rummaging through her purse. She laid a hand on Harry's shoulder and guided him off to the side. "I'll let you retrieve your school things with them, but I want to be with you for this."

Harry turned slightly, surprised by the catch in her voice. "Mum?"

Lily smiled warmly, her emerald eyes misting with tears. "I just never thought I'd see the day when you got your wand," she murmured, her hand pressing warmly against his shoulder. If they hadn't been walking up a rather busy street, he was certain that she would have embraced him. "I'd dreamed of this day, but... What was your wand like in your dream world, Harry? Who took you to get it?"

"Hagrid did," Harry answered, gently resting his hand over hers. "The Dursleys weren't exactly the type to want to enter Diagon Alley." Lily merely nodded, her lips compressing into a thin line as he continued. "I was very excited, though I suppose everyone is. My wand was holly, with a phoenix feather core. The feather came from Fawkes, Professor Dumbledore's familiar." He fell silent for a moment, recalling Ollivander's rather prophetic words on that day. "It was one of the two feathers that Fawkes ever gave to him."

"Really? How fascinating," Lily breathed. "Holly and a phoenix feather... That denotes a pretty powerful wand, Harry. Perhaps you'll get something similar this time around."

He didn't say as much to his mother, but by Merlin, he hoped not, not if it meant that Tom Riddle had the yew and phoenix feather wand that made him so powerful. It was for that reason that he couldn't help feeling apprehensive as Lily stopped in front of Ollivander's' wand shop and opened the door. Everyone knew that the wand chose the wizard. What kind of wand would he be receiving? Taking a deep breath, Harry stepped inside and jumped as two silvery eyes appeared in the darkness, scanning his form.

"Good morning, Mr. Potter, Mrs. Potter," the man greeted, sliding out of the shadows. "It's rare for me to see a wizard of your age coming for his first real wand, Mr. Potter. Which is your wand arm?"

His right hand rose automatically, and Ollivander gave a sharp nod and snapped his fingers. A tape measure leapt into action and raced over to Harry, where it began crawling all over his body and taking a variety of measurements. Harry watched it in bemusement, wondering if it actually helped in picking out a wand, or if Ollivander did it more for show. As if the man sensed his thoughts, Ollivander gave a harsh cough and the tape measure immediately collapsed to the ground.

"Try this one," Ollivander said, offering him a box. "It's a 10¾ inch yew with a core of unicorn hair."

Harry's fingers had barely closed around the wand before Ollivander snatched it away, shaking his head and muttering around his breath. This went on for about ten minutes and thirty wands of every different type of wood and core before Harry heaved a sigh of frustration. How would he ever get a wand if Ollivander barely allowed him to touch each one? He was fairly certain that he hadn't actually touched a wand yet. Lily must have sensed his annoyance because she stepped forward and laid a hand on his shoulder again. He spared her a smile and reminded himself of how long it had taken to find a wand the first time around.

"Yes..." Ollivander murmured. "Yes, I see it now. Mr. Potter, I do not have a wand that will suit you. Instead, I have decided that I will make you one."

Harry's eyes widened slightly. He'd never heard of Ollivander making a wand especially for someone. "You don't have a wand for me? Not even one?" he asked sceptically, glancing at the rows upon rows of wands behind the counter. There had to be well over a thousand wands that he could see, and not one would work for him?

"A wand chooses the wizard, as you well know, but it is imperative to have the best pairing possible," Ollivander said, seemingly affronted that Harry had dared to question him. "I have a few special pieces of wood that have been waiting for me to find the perfect wizard. Now that I have found one, I will make you a wand. Please return in one month's time and I will have your wand ready." He turned away without further comment and disappeared into the back of the shop.

"How odd," Lily said thoughtfully as the two of them exited the dour shop. "You must really be something, Harry, for Ollivander to want to go out of his way for you. I can't wait to see you in action."

A weak smile touched Harry's lips. If Tom Riddle really was Lord Voldemort, then his mother might get more of a chance than she realized. Godric, why did things always have to be so hard? "I wish I'd been able to get a wand, though," he said, "I miss having one. I feel strange without it."

Lily's face softened. "I bet. It won't be too much longer, though. At least we'll be able to get you one before you begin school." As she spoke, she reached into her purse and drew out a pouch. "It's almost one, so I'll give this to you now. Here. This will provide you with all of the money you need to go shopping."

As Harry took the bag, it crumpled in his fingers. With two fingers, he parted the top and peered inside in confusion. The soft velvet was empty, yielding no coins. "I don't understand."

"It's a special kind of Gringotts bag," Lily explained. "It's connected directly to the Potter vault. Lia has one, too. When you approach the cash, no matter what you're buying or where – even if it's in a muggle store – the bag will provide you with exactly enough money. Extremely useful, since you don't have to keep making trips to Gringotts. Your father and I expect you to be reasonable in what you spend, of course, but feel free to indulge at least a little – " She broke off and frowned suddenly. "What's wrong?"

Harry shook his head quickly, knowing that there was no way to express the peculiar feelings that were going through him. Never in his dreams had he imagined he'd be having a talk with his mother about the concept of money. He didn't know if this world was the real world, or what, but there was no question that it was certainly better than the last one had been. "Nothing. It's just... I've never gotten an allowance before."

Something unidentifiable flashed through Lily's eyes, and she let out a slow sigh. "Well, you have one now," she said carefully, wrapping him in a brief embrace. She brushed her lips over his forehead. "Go and have fun with your friends, Harry. I'll meet you back here at five and we can finish up your shopping."

"Yes, Mum." Harry stepped back from her and then turned, walking quickly towards Fortescue's before he could stop himself. He almost wanted to go back and explain to her that what he really wanted was for Lily and James to take him shopping, the way he'd seen countless other Hogwarts students doing with their families, but then he caught sight of Malfoy and Hermione and Ginny sitting at a table waiting for him, and the desire lessened.

"Hey Harry," Ginny said cheerfully. "Did you get a wand?"

"Hi Gin." He sat down at the table and scooted his chair closer, casting a quick glance at the others as he did. Hermione and Malfoy were sharing a butterscotch sundae, and Ginny was finishing off a brownie delight. "Malfoy, Mione. And no, I didn't. Ollivander said that he wanted to make one for me."

"Really?" Malfoy's silver eyes widened with interest, and he set down his spoon in order to give Harry a closer look. "I've never heard of Ollivander doing that."

"Me either," Hermione said, a slight frowning touching her lips. "I've always been under the impression that you couldn't create a personalized wand, because it's the unique reaction between the wood, the core, and the wizard that makes the magic strong, and it's impossible to know what sort of reaction there will be until the wand has been created. Do you know what kind of wand he's planning to make, Harry?"

"No clue," Harry said with a shrug, snitching a spoonful of Ginny's brownie. She gave him a mock frown but obligingly inched the dessert closer to him. "I kind of wish he'd had one for me. I don't like not having a wand on me."

"Hmm." A thoughtful look came over Hermione's face, and she tapped her foot on the ground before turning to Malfoy. "Maybe you could help with that. Why don't you take Harry into Knockturn Alley and get him a temporary wand, while Ginny and I visit Madam Malkin's?"

"Hermione," said Harry, eyes wide. Never in his life would he have imagined Hermione, of all people, suggesting he go into Knockturn Alley. He couldn't decide which was more shocking, that, or the fact that Hermione actually wanted to visit Madam Malkin's instead of the bookstore. "I don't think – "

"What are you, scared?" Malfoy asked, raising his eyebrows.

Harry flushed. Ginny smiled. "No, I'm not scared," he snapped, elbowing Ginny, who just giggled. "Where I come from, Knockturn Alley isn't the safest place."

"You'll be fine," said Hermione, licking her spoon slowly. Her keen eyes assessed Harry, who suddenly got the feeling that this was some sort of test. "You wanted a wand, don't you? Draco can take you to Lysander's. They specialize in wands that don't have tracing charms from the Ministry. It's a complicated process to take the charms off, so you might as well just use one of those ones until Ollivander has yours ready. Rather a waste of time to buy a legitimate wand and take the charms off if you're just going to be using it for a month."

"I think that sounds like a great idea," said Ginny, smirking. Harry glared at her and, in revenge, stole the rest of her brownie. Ginny ignored him and set her spoon down on the table like it was what she had planned all along. "Let's go, Hermione. Mum gave me some money to get a new set of dress robes, and I could use your advice."

"Hang on. Ginny, can I talk to you for a second?" Without waiting for an answer, Harry jumped up and grabbed her arm, pulling her off to the side. He noticed Hermione leaning over to speak to Malfoy as he turned to Ginny and hissed, "Have you lost your mind?"

"No, but thanks for asking," she replied, mouth twitching. "Harry, relax, would you? Draco isn't going to jump you in some dark alley. Hermione really likes him and I think that, even if you can't find it in yourself to trust _him_, you can trust her judgement. You need a wand and it will give you a chance to get to know him a little better. I think he could help us. Even if Lucius Malfoy isn't a Death Eater in this world, you can be assured he's not entirely on the side of Light. If anyone would know what Tom Riddle is up to, it's him."

Harry stared. "You called him Draco."

Ginny rolled her eyes. "I'm so glad that you focused on that out of everything I said," she said.

"Sorry," he said sheepishly. "But it's... _Malfoy_."

"Harry, I know. But you have to let it go," she said gently, so gently that he shivered a little. "It's not the same person who we knew. If you hold onto those kinds of grudges..."

"So are you saying that I should let Tom Riddle go, too?" he asked, scowling at the thought of becoming friendly towards Malfoy. He'd only just gotten Ron back; what would his friend do if he found out Harry had sided with Malfoy? "Because if you apply the same principle to him... Well, he hasn't technically done anything."

"Would you listen to yourself?" Ginny snapped, clearly frustrated. "You sound ridiculous. You know that Tom Riddle can't be trusted in any way, shape, or form. He's a dangerous psychopath no matter what world we're in. He's always been that way, and he always will be. But you _know_ that Draco Malfoy wasn't like that, and don't try to tell me otherwise, Harry Potter. Even in our world, when he was a child, he was just a kid like you and me, and if it weren't for Lucius Malfoy, he probably would've grown up that way, too. We don't have very much here, Harry. Don't try to push aside someone who could be a valuable ally just because you don't like who he once was."

Harry wasn't sure what to say in response to that. Ginny was right, and he knew it, but that didn't mean he had to like it. The thought of being friends with Draco Malfoy was still unsettling, no matter what this world was like. But he wasn't willing to lose Hermione over it, and that was exactly what would happen if he refused to try and get on with Malfoy. Reluctantly, he nodded. "Alright. I'll try to be nice."

"Ready to go, Ginny?" Hermione asked, approaching them. Harry glanced at her. It was still a shock to see his friend dressed so stylishly.

"Yup." Ginny retrieved her purse from the table and hooked it over her shoulder. "Be nice," she hissed at him before taking Hermione's arm and walking away, leaving him alone with Malfoy.

Be nice. It was pretty easy for her to say when she was going shopping with Hermione, who was still the same person even underneath the pretty green dress and the glossy hair. Harry stepped back over to the table and looked at Malfoy, who rose and inclined his head towards the door. Without saying a word, Harry fell into step beside him as they made their way down the street towards Knockturn Alley. If anyone had ever told him that he'd be willingly going into the dark street with only a Malfoy for protection...

"Lysander's isn't that far in," said Malfoy after a moment. "You'll have your wand soon enough."

"But it won't be _my_ wand," Harry pointed out, releasing a breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding. In all honesty, any wand would do. "I had a... special... wand in my world, one that was very important to me. I wish that I'd be able to get it back, even if I didn't use it all the time, but it was probably sold to someone else ages ago..."

Malfoy shrugged. "Even if you had the exact same wand that you did in your dream world, you don't have any guarantee that it would the same for you."

"I never thought of that," he admitted, a bit downtrodden at the thought. That wand had been one of the best defences against Voldemort that he'd possessed, but there was a chance that it wouldn't even work for him in this world. An awkward silence between the two of them, and it wasn't until they had reached Lysander's that Malfoy drew in a deep breath and spoke again.

"Harry," he said, "In your dream world, were you and Hermione... dating?"

"Me and Hermione? Dating?" The idea was so absurd that Harry wasn't sure what to say at first. He stared at Malfoy, who looked distinctly uncomfortable, and realized that the other boy was actually jealous and worried. Over _him _and whether or not he might try to steal Hermione away. The knowledge nearly made him laugh out loud, though he swallowed it at the last minute. "No, we weren't anything of the sort. She was like a sister to me."

A relieved look flashed across Malfoy's face. "I was just curious. Not that I thought a scrawny little Gryffindor like you could ever take Hermione away from me."

Harry snorted, relieved that there was no genuine malice in the comment. "Careful, Malfoy. I'm not interested in Hermione like that, but I know someone else who is. Besides, you don't know that I'll be a Gryffindor. I might surprise you, yet."

"What else would you be?"

"I'll have you know the Sorting Hat wanted to put me into Slytherin," Harry said, delighting in the resulting shocked expression. He pushed open the door to the shop and entered without waiting for Malfoy.

There was no one in the shop waiting for them, and indeed, if Harry hadn't known it was a shop, he never would have guessed. The way to the back of the store was covered by two deep velvet curtains that prevented anyone from seeing past. The only things he could see was a low counter upon which rested a single slender wand box, and a small white card with the price of fifteen galleons written on it. It was an outrageous price for a wand, but he supposed that when it came to the black market, one probably couldn't be terribly picky. There was nothing else – no other wands, no cash register, and no shopkeeper.

"What are you waiting for?" Malfoy asked, leaning around the door. "Put your money on the counter, take the box, and come on."

Harry frowned, but did as the Slytherin had commanded. He took out the small pouch Lily had given him and placed the fifteen golden coins inside on the counter. The coins glittered and sank into the counter until all Harry could see was fifteen holes where they had been. Assuming that meant his payment had been accepted, he cautiously reached for the wand box. Nothing happened when he touched it, so he felt relatively safe in tucking it under his arm and making a hasty retreat towards Malfoy. Being in the shop felt a little creepy, like there were several people watching him all at once, and for all he knew, that was true.

"What did you get?"

"I don't understand," Harry began, even as he moved to take the top off of the box. "Why don't you try out different wands, like you do at Ollivander's?"

Malfoy shrugged. "That's the way Lysander's always is," he said after a pause. "It's said that the owner knows if you are coming, and will leave the right wand out. She's reportedly a Seer of some kind, if you believe in that kind of thing." There was a kind of drawl in his voice that indicated maybe he didn't quite believe in it himself, but when Harry glanced at him, his face was smooth. "I've never heard tell of anyone who got a wand from there that wouldn't work for them."

The wand inside the box was long, warm, and smooth to the touch. A small slip of paper hidden at the bottom indicated that it was twelve inches in length, and made from golden oak wood with a core of Basilisk tooth and venom. A chill touched the back of Harry's spine as his fingers curled around the wand, and a strange sensation raced up his fingers and into his arm and chest. He shivered and pulled the wand out. Although nothing came out of the end of it, he felt curiously connected to the wand in a way that was similar and yet altogether different from his holly wand.

"Basilisk venom? That's unusual," said Malfoy. A look that Harry would have called respect had it been on anyone else passed across his face. "But then, Lysander wands come from all over the place. Some of them are hundreds of years old. Yours must be quite old, if it's got Basilisk in it. There hasn't been one of those around for hundreds of years."

Harry turned and looked at him. "You'd think so," he said. Malfoy's words had reminded him of his second year, and he knew that one of the first things he would be doing upon returning to Hogwarts would be a visit to the Chamber of Secrets to see whether Slytherin's pet was still there. He sighed and held the wand up. "You're there's no Ministry tracing charms on it?" he asked just to be on the safe side, though he doubted that this world had a malicious toad out of his blood. "_Lumos_."

As he spoke the word, the tip of the wand began to shine with a brilliant, soft light. Harry felt an immense amount of satisfaction and cancelled the spell. His magic hadn't been affected by the world change – good. He would need every drop of whatever he could summon if Tom Riddle was really up to something. Feeling much better now that he had a wand, he shrunk the box and tucked both it and the wand into his pocket. Then he turned to Malfoy, who had begun heading towards the entrance back to Diagon Alley. It seemed that the blond didn't want to linger.

"Malfoy, can I ask you a question?" he asked, catching up.

"If you like."

"How did you and Hermione end up together?"

Malfoy blinked and seemed surprised. "Why?"

"Because in my world, that never would have happened," Harry said flatly. "Things like... like blood purity were much too important to your family."

"Well, they're of matter to my father," said Malfoy slowly. "And to me as well. When I first met Hermione, I didn't like her very much. She was a little know-it-all." Harry bristled at hearing the familiar insult, but Malfoy didn't seem to notice. He was lost in his own world. "We competed constantly in class, attempting to be at the top. I hated her for knowing anything that I didn't know and I began spending a lot of time in the library trying to get ahead of her. But of course, she was doing the same thing." A small smile formed on his lips and he chuckled softly. "Eventually, we began studying together, and she got up the courage to slap me after I called her a mudblood and told me never to call her that again. No one had ever stood up to me quite like that before." He shrugged. "Hermione is my equal in everything. What else could we end up as?"

Harry blinked and looked away, disturbed at the softness that shone in those silver eyes. Why did the idea of Malfoy and Hermione have to make so much _sense_? "In my world, Hermione was with Ron."

"Weasley?" Malfoy looked incredulous. "But Hermione is so beautiful and intelligent. What could she have possibly seen in someone like Weasley?"

"They were friends and it grew from there," Harry said, mostly because he didn't know what else to say. It wasn't as though he had ever sat his version of Hermione down and asked her what she liked about Ron, especially when he took into consideration the kind of arguments the two of them used to have. He frowned and looked down at the ground, deliberately increasing his pace. "They were... happy together."

"Your world sounds very odd," Malfoy commented.

"It was dangerous, and I wanted to talk to you and Hermione about that," he answered, relieved for a change of topic. Anything was better than discussing Hermione and Malfoy's relationship, even if he had been the one who'd inquired. "Well, Ginny and I did."

"You've got your chance," said Malfoy, indicating the two approaching girls.

"My world wasn't a very nice place," he began as Hermione and Ginny joined them. He impulsively removed his new wand and cast a spell to make sure that their conversation wouldn't be overheard. "There was a Dark Lord who was threatening the world, and his name was Voldemort." It was weird to speak the name and have Hermione and Malfoy look at him impassively. Only Ginny flinched a bit. "He was very powerful, and it was said that the only person he was afraid of was Albus Dumbledore. And towards the end, I'm not even sure that was true." Harry took a deep breath. "I think... that Voldemort did something. I don't think that my world was a dream; I think that he... somehow altered reality. I don't know if he went back fifty years and changed time or what, but..." His voice trailed off.

"That's impossible," Hermione said finally after a couple minutes of silence. She exchanged a look with Malfoy and went on, "No one could be that strong, and I've never heard of a time piece that would allow someone to travel that far back. Harry, I know it's difficult to just let everything in your dream world go, but that's common in people who have been under Imago Universitas spell. After all – "

"You don't understand, Hermione," said Ginny firmly, interrupting the other girl before she could go off on a tangent. "I remember it, too. I remember everything from that world."

Hermione frowned. "What do you mean?"

Ginny glanced at Harry. "Just what I said. There's definitely something that's... not right. A couple of days before Harry woke up, _I _woke up to find out that the whole world had changed overnight. I don't remember anything about this world beyond what's happened since then. That's why I didn't know that we weren't friends, or that you didn't like Ron, or that you and Malfoy were dating. The only things I remember are..."

"The philosopher's stone," Harry muttered.

"The Chamber of Secrets."

"Peter Pettigrew and Sirius and Remus."

"The Triwizard Tournament."

"The Department of Mysteries," they chorused together, and Ginny smiled.

"See?" she said, looking at Hermione. "If Harry really was just under the Imago Universitas spell, then why would I know all of this?"

"Your memories are exactly the same?" Malfoy asked, looking fascinated as he glanced back and forth between the two of them. "There're no discrepancies?"

"Not that I know of," Harry said, "Nothing has come up so far. We haven't exactly had the time to sit down and discuss every single little thing. But I was told that the Imago Universitas has to be especially cast on someone, which means it's impossible that Ginny just fell asleep and dreamed whatever I was dreaming. So there has to be another explanation for why Ginny and I both remember everything that happened. This is what we've come up with: the fact that Voldemort somehow changed reality. It's the only thing that makes sense, and it sounds like something that he would do. And add onto that that we've both seen Voldemort around and – "

"You have?" Now it was Hermione who interrupted. She looked rather confused. "There are no Dark Lords around here, and certainly no one with the amount of power you described."

"Sure there is," Harry said slowly, exchanging a glance with Ginny. "Before Voldemort came into power, his name was Tom Marvolo Riddle."

* * *

A/N: Sorry if that was a bad place to stop, but this chapter just kept going. Please review!


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N:** I apologize for the lack of update these past few weeks. I was unsure of how I wanted to approach this chapter, but I finally decided that some action was needed... I hope that the "action scene" is okay. I'm not very good at them. Thanks to the Harry Potter Wiki for all of the spells, charms, curses and/or jinxes used in this chapter, as well as information relating to St. Mungo's.

* * *

"I'm telling you, it's _not_ possible."

Harry rolled his eyes and resisted the urge to bang his forehead on the table. Hermione and Malfoy had fallen into a stunned silence after hearing Tom Riddle's name, and he and Ginny had only just managed to guide them back to a table in the far corner of Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlour. Then he'd cast a couple of silencing charms so that no one would be able to overhear and patiently waited. Except... waiting for about five minutes only to hear plain denial was nothing short of frustrating.

"It _is_ possible," Ginny said, firmly but kindly. "It has to be."

"But he seems so... so nice," Hermione said, sounding a bit dazed. A frown twitched at her lips, and when Harry glanced at her, she had that_ look_ on her face. The patented Hermione 'something-is-happening-and-I-need-to-know-what-it-is' look. "I mean... are you sure?"

"Very sure. Look, Hermione, I know it sounds strange. But it's the truth. In our world, Riddle began terrorizing the world as Voldemort close to forty years ago. He killed a lot of people and his Death Eaters, the people who worked for him, tortured thousands more. My parents died because of him." Harry clenched his fists uncomfortably in his lap and made himself go on. "In 1981, he was killed and was left wandering as a spirit for several years before he fully regained a body in my fourth year with the help of... of some of his servants. Since that time, he's been plotting and planning to conquer the wizarding world. I thought that war was where we were headed again, but..."

"This happened." Hermione was clearly thinking hard, trying to bring everything together. Her fingers drummed on the table. "If this is true, and I'm not saying it is," she said with a glance at her boyfriend, who pouted, "Then I don't think that this... Voldemort... just flat out changed reality. Magic can do a lot of things, but it can't do _that_. I think he must have found some way to go back in time and change things."

"I thought you said that couldn't be done?"

"It can't," she said flatly. "Not really. Time travel is extremely hard on the body and mind and soul. The longest recorded time travel into the past was a month, and it took that wizard nearly a year to recuperate. If the timeline you just gave me was correct, then that means this Voldemort would have had to travel back about forty years, give or two a year or two, considering that no one has ever heard of him. That's just..." She shook her head slowly. "There's just no way._ If_ he even got that far into the past, his body would've broken down within minutes. Seconds, even. It's physically impossible for anyone to have survived that."

Harry sat back and mulled this over. "Well... The Riddle in this world isn't exactly like the one that we know," he said, thinking out loud. "He's older, but still, the timing doesn't really fit. Dumbledore told me he was born in the 1920s. He'd be... Merlin... seventy years old."

"That's not very old for a wizard," Ginny pointed out. "But the Riddle we saw certainly wasn't any older than mid-forties, I'd guess."

"His son, maybe?" Malfoy suggested.

"No. I know it's him," Harry said, frustrated. "There's something we're missing."

"I've have to concur." Ginny spoke softly. "I met Tom Riddle's sixteen-year-old self, once. Even if, Godric forbid, he had a child..." She tilted her head and a shiver worked its way through her body. "It's the same person. I could feel it in the way that he looked at me."

"But Professor Riddle has always been a good teacher. He's very kind and professional, and I've never seen even a hint of cruelty or madness in him," Hermione said, leaning forward intently. "Are you absolutely certain? Perhaps he's a good person in this world. Maybe whatever happened in your world to change things didn't work out the way that this Voldemort wanted." She sighed and rolled her eyes. "How did you do that? I can't believe I'm actually taking you seriously."

"It's a part of my charm," Harry assured her, smiling a little. "I don't know what other proof to offer you, Mione. I know it's hard to accept... I know we're telling you that someone who has never been anything but good to you is evil. But it's the truth. Riddle can't be trusted. I'm willing to concede that he might not be Voldemort, but he's still a dangerous son-of-a-bitch, and he's planning something."

"Why exactly are you telling us this?" Malfoy asked suddenly. Harry turned to glance at him, shivering when the full force of that penetrating silvery gaze struck him. "What do you expect us to do?"

"I need your help," he said honestly. "I've never been very good at research. But I need to know whatever I can about Riddle, and about how he might have been able to change things. I just... I _know_ that's what happened. You and Hermione grew up in this world and you've had Riddle as a professor for years. Ginny and I didn't, and you can't even being to imagine how vastly different our world was. That kind of information could be invaluable to us."

"Have you considered going to your parents about this, Harry?" Hermione asked before her boyfriend could respond. "Or Professor Dumbledore, maybe..."

"No." Harry shook his head. "Voldemort is my responsibility... I don't want anyone else to be caught up in it if possible..."

"Harry." Ginny reached out and placed her hand over his. "You're not alone in this. You never have been."

"I know." He offered her a brief smile. "But it's the truth. Dumbledore told me as much himself. I'm the one who has to beat him." Ginny would understand if he explained it to her. Harry knew that. If he told her about the prophecy, about those cruel words that had trapped him into this destiny... But he couldn't bring himself to say that. Instead he settled for resting his free hand on top of hers, so that her petite fingers were trapped between his.

"We need to talk for a moment," said Hermione, glancing at Malfoy. She pushed back her chair and stood. Malfoy copied her gracefully, gently placing one hand on the small of her back as the two of them stepped away from the table. Immediately, Hermione ducked her head and began murmuring quietly, until she'd stepped far enough away that the spells ensured she couldn't be heard.

"This was a bad idea," Harry muttered, dissipating the silencing spell with a wave of his fingers. "I've seen that look before. It's the 'Harry Potter is crazy' look."

"Enough!" Ginny said sharply, causing him to look at her in surprise. "You can't really blame them. This world is so..." Her voice trailed off as she looked around at Diagon Alley. Every single store was bustling with happy, busy shoppers and cheerful clerks. Children were walking around unattended and parents were relaxing in the shade without a care in the world. "If I had grown up in this place, I probably wouldn't be anxious to believe you, either. Not only are we asking them to believe that a trusted Hogwarts professor is a psychotic madman, we're unleashing the knowledge of a deadly threat against the world. I'm surprised Malfoy hasn't stunned us and spirited Hermione away."

Harry's lips quirked into a grin and he shifted his chair closer to the redhead. Somehow, for the first time since he'd found her, he was glad that it was Ginny who still remembered. "Malfoy as a knight in shining armour," he mused. "Somehow, I don't see it."

An idle smirk was his answer as Ginny leaned against him, her head almost but not quite resting against his shoulder. Harry felt warm and comfortable sitting there with her beneath the shade of a bright purple umbrella, while the rest of a completely peaceful Diagon Alley passed by just an arm's reach away. He turned his head slightly, cheek brushing against her hair, and inhaled deeply. The scent of vanilla and apples washed over him, and her skin was soft and supple where it slid against his. He could have sat there forever, and not thought about anything except for the fact that he was actually starting to really like Ginny Weasley.

The faint _pop!_ of someone apparating into the Alley was so common that at first, Harry didn't really register it. It was only once the first curse, one to make the blood boil, was uttered and a witch screamed in pain that he tensed, body reacting automatically. Ginny sprang into action as well, her wand appearing in her hand as she jumped to her feet and turned. Harry was with her, his left hand taking an instinctive protective stance in front of Ginny as he spun to survey what was going on. That was when the _real_ screaming began, and the chaos started, as the black-robed figures descended in a wave.

"Death Eaters." The words were cold on his lips as he stepped back, drawing Ginny with him. He took a quick look around, searching for Malfoy or Hermione, but he couldn't see either one of them in the midst of the pandemonium. People were flooding into the ice cream shop in search of safety. Harry sent up a quick prayer that the two of them had already left.

"They're not wearing those bloody masks," Ginny pointed out calmly. Her expression was grim and she held her wand at the ready. "But I would guess that this answers our question about whether or not Riddle is still the same."

"_Finite Incantatem_!" Harry shouted in response, pointing his wand at a woman that had been petrified. She leapt up with a fearful cry and spun, disapparating on the spot. "I don't suppose there's any chance that you'll stay here and hide?" Even as he spoke, he grabbed Ginny's hand, intertwining their fingers. He didn't want to lose her in the mob.

For an answer, Ginny directed her wand towards the nearest black-robed person and yelled, "_Expelliarmus_!" The man was blasted off of his feet and into the building a few feet away. His wand went flying past Ginny and Harry, into the back of the shop, as Ginny cast again. "_Rictusempra_!"

The two of them strode forward, casting spells, charms, and jinxes at every black-robed figure that had the unfortunate luck to come into contact with them. Harry tried to stick to stunning and disarming, though once or twice he had to get more creative when challenged, and doing his best to free those who had been stunned or petrified. He kept a hold of Ginny the whole time he was duelling, even though he was confident that she could hold her own. His new wand fairly hummed between his fingers, sending pulses of power up his arm.

"Where the fuck are the Aurors?" Ginny hissed, snapping off a stunner.

"Maybe no one thought to alert them," said Harry, though he found that difficult to believe. He cast another Disarming Charm and took a moment to study the battlefield. Between their combined efforts and that of a few merchants and shoppers who found the courage to join in, most of the figures appeared to be either down for the count or had fled when they encountered opposition.

"Once a pest, always a pest, just like your damned uncle," Harry heard a cold voice behind them say. He turned his head and was met with a pair of cold, dark eyes, shadowed by the hood of a cloak. "_Crucio_!"

Harry ducked immediately, yanking Ginny down with him, and cringed when the spell flew over their heads and struck someone else. The wizard screamed in pain and writhed on the ground for several seconds before the curse was finally lifted. The woman – for he was pretty sure it was a woman, even though he couldn't make out any identifying characteristics – hissed under her breath and brought her wand up.

"_Stupefy_!" Harry shouted immediately, gritting his teeth when she cast a shield charm. Who_ was_ it? He didn't recognize the voice. "_Incarcerous_!"

"_Protego_!" Ginny added at the same time, waving her wand to form a shield that glowed with light.

"_Rumpo_! _Diffindo_!" Wild laughter rang out over the street as Harry yelped with pain. The first spell had shattered Ginny's shield, allowing the curse to catch him in the right shoulder and leaving a deep cut that allowed blood to seep steadily down his arm. His fingers felt loose and heavy around his wand and his hand trembled when he tried to bring his wand up in order to cast another shield charm. "_Crucio_!" the figure yelled, cackling as the red bolt of light leapt free from the end of the wand.

"No!" Ginny knocked into him, shoving him out of the way, and cried out when the curse struck her instead.

"Ginny!" Harry grabbed at her shaking body as his legs gave out, sending them both to the ground. She arched against him, a painful squeal caught in her throat. He groped for his wand as anger roared through him and pointed it, not at the gloating woman, but at the ground. If he could only buy them some time... "_Glacius_!" Instantly, the road beneath their feet became as slick as ice. The figure stumbled and nearly slipped, but still managed to keep the wand pointed squarely in the direction. Harry's fingers tightened, mind racing through the spells that he knew.

Pops sounded around them and the familiar red robes of Ministry Aurors came into focus. Ginny's shuddering stopped as several Aurors raced towards the figure, who gave up torturing Ginny and turned to battle with them instead. Harry dropped his wand on the ground beside him and cradled her semi-conscious form in his arms, heedless of the battle raging around them or of the fact that he was getting blood on both of them. He just sat and stared down at her, not even reacting when the last of the black-robed figures finally retreated.

"Harry!" A voice reached his ears. "Harry!"

Harry looked up blankly, gazing at a woman he only sort of recognized. He gazed at her dully for a few moments, until she turned and murmured something to one of the men standing beside her. There was another _pop!_ and then gentle arms seized his shoulders. Ginny was taken from him and someone was guiding him to his feet and pulling him along. The next thing he knew, he was sitting shirtless on an examination table inside of St. Mungos, and Arabella, dressed in the familiar white outfit of a Healer, was standing over him, pulling an empty vial away from his lips and casting diagnostic spells at the wound on his arm.

"Alright there, Harry?" she asked kindly, noticing that he was with her. "You've had a bit of a shock."

"Yeah." He blinked, looking around, and realized that his mouth tasted sour. "What happened?"

"Orion found you and Ginny," she said. "She was at the shop today when... when it began. Apparently, she was helping the Aurors round up the wounded when she came across the two of you sitting in the middle of it. I think you gave her quite a fright, Harry. She said you wouldn't respond to anything she said or did."

"I don't really remember," Harry said, wincing as Arabella cast a spell that caused the torn flesh of his shoulder to knit neatly back together. The area remained bruised, swollen and tender in spite of her care, and the muscles throbbed when he attempted to move. "The last thing I remember is Ginny pushing me out of the way and taking the Cruciatus curse that was meant for me."

Arabella tensed slightly, her lips folding into a worried frown. "That bloody curse," she muttered, removing most of the blood from his shoulder with a wave of her wand. She reached for a small jar of salve and pried it open, then carefully smoothed some of the contents onto his shoulder. Instantly, the pain stopped, and he breathed a quiet sigh of relief. "I'll give this to you, Harry. You'll have to keep putting it on twice a day for the next few days, until the bruises and swelling are completely gone and it doesn't hurt anymore."

"Thanks." He took the jar from her and slipped it into his pocket. As he did, the door to the room flew open and James, Lily, Sirius, and Remus all rushed into the room. Sirius got to him first, sweeping Harry into a bear hug that made his arm ache all over again. It was more than worth it, though, and he clung to his godfather with equal strength.

"What were you thinking?" Lily demanded as Sirius finally released him. "Harry, why in Merlin's name did you go into that battle? Why didn't you run for help?"

Harry blinked at his mother in astonishment over Remus's shoulder. "Run? Mum, they were _hurting _people."

"Definitely a Gryffindor," Sirius muttered.

"Harry, that's not your job," she said, enfolding him in yet another embrace. Her hands were shaking. "I was so frightened when Orion came to the house and told us what had happened. Why would you get in the middle of it? The Aurors came as soon as they were alerted. That's what they're there for. You could have been killed!"

It was the weirdest feeling in the world, to sit there and be scolded by his mother for participating in a fight against what were most assuredly Death Eaters, when in the other world, it would have been _expected_ of him to jump in. And he would have been in trouble if he'd merely sat by and done nothing. Confused, Harry broke free of her hug and bit his lip, crossing his arms in front of him defensively. The prophecy that Dumbledore had told him about had flashed through his mind again. Of _course_ it was his job. It was always going to be his job, no matter what world they were in.

"Lily." James reached out and placed a restraining hand on his wife's shoulder. He was watching Harry closely. "It's alright. He's fine."

"With no lasting scars," Arabella agreed, smiling. "You're free to go, Harry. I hope I won't ever hear that you've run into another fight like that again," she added gently.

Harry just gave her a weak smile and accepted the shirt that Remus was pushing at him. He slipped it over his head, thanked Arabella, and rose to follow his family out of the room. "Where's Ginny?" he asked as they walked down the hall. "I want to see her, to make sure she's alright."

Lily and James exchanged a look. Lily nodded reluctantly and turned to him. "Arabella told me where she is," she said. "Come on. You can visit for a minute, but then we're going straight home so that you can get some rest."

The five of them took the elevator to the fourth floor, where patients were treated for spell damage. Lily paused and spoke briefly to the Healers who were seated at the desk. One of them nodded and stood up, leading them down the long hallway. Harry winced a little as they passed the Janus Thickey ward, recalling the time that he'd seen Neville Longbottom there visiting his parents, and sped up, not wanting to think about that time. He was relieved when the Healer stopped and pointed to a room a few feet away. It was easily identifiable as Ginny's, being that there was a cluster of redheads around the door. James approached and spoke to them for a minute, then beckoned Harry.

Ginny was lying on a hospital bed with her eyes closed. Every once in a while, part of her body would go into spasms. Several empty potion vials littered one of the trays beside her bed. Arthur Weasley stood with his arm around Molly, his face gray and subdued. Ron, George, Fred, and Percy were all standing around the bed, examining their little sister in silence. Harry also saw several members of the Weasley family that he didn't recognize. Most of them glared at him, something which caused Sirius to shift uneasily and glare right back. Remus placed a calming hand on Sirius's shoulder as Harry went to the bed. He wanted to ask for time alone with her, but somehow, he didn't think that would go over well.

"Gin?" he whispered, leaning over her.

"Harry." Her eyes opened immediately and a smile touched her lips. "Are you alright? How's your shoulder?"

"It's fine." Harry forced his gaze to meet hers. "Why did you – "

"You _know_ why." Ignoring Molly's protests at the movement, Ginny struggled into a sitting position and reached out, pressing her fingers to his cheek. Harry's hand came up and covered hers. "I told you, you're not alone in this," she said, her eyes shining with tears. "You never have been, and you never will be."

Harry sank down onto the edge of her bed, throat tight. Ginny leaned forward and rested her head against his shoulder with a sigh. "That was stupid," he said into her hair, closing his eyes. He didn't care about the fact that they had an audience. All he could think about was how good it felt to hold onto her. "You might've been killed, Gin, and for – " He couldn't bring himself to finish that sentence. "You can't do that again. Not ever."

"You don't get to dictate my actions, Harry Potter," she mumbled. Somehow, he _knew_ she was smiling, and his own lips curved up a bit in response.

"You're alright?"

"I've had worse." Her head rose and she winked. Harry stared into her golden brown eyes and felt a rush of affection for the fiery redhead. If it weren't for the fact that they were surrounded by both of their families, he might have... A light blush spread across his cheeks as she said, "But if you want to do something for me, you can find Hermione and Draco and ask them to start looking."

Harry nodded, embarrassed. Where had that thought come from? "I will," he promised, glancing into her eyes once more, well aware of the fact that she had yet to take her hand from his cheek. She nodded at him, and looked at him intently, and he thought he understood.

"Time to go, Harry," said James. "Healer Lancelot is here to give Miss Weasley a sedative potion."

"Fantastic," Ginny mumbled, her hand sliding away from his cheek. He held onto it for a moment longer as she lay back down, hating the thought of leaving her behind. If she had to be here, he wanted to stay at her side for every minute. As though sending his thoughts, Ginny squeezed his hand and shot him another meaningful look that gave him the courage to release her hand, stand, and take a couple of steps back as the Healer came over. "Can't I go home?" she asked him, clearly disgusted. "I'm perfectly fine, you know."

"Miss Weasley, you will be here until we are absolutely certain that the curse didn't do you any lasting damage," said the Healer, looking a bit tired.

"She _wishes _that it would have done so," Ginny muttered. Her face, for just a moment, flashed with a rage that Harry felt all the way down to his bones. Ginny knew who that woman was. Now more than ever, he wanted to get her alone to find out what she knew.

"If you know who it was, you should tell the Ministry," said Arthur.

Ginny laughed. It wasn't a good sound. "Right," she said unpleasantly, taking the sedative with a hand that shook. Arthur and Molly exchanged worried looks. James took hold of Harry's arm and gently guided him from the room. It was probably well that he had, because Harry didn't think he would have been able to move. He had never been more captivated by Ginny Weasley than he was at that instant, when he could honestly see that her pure determination to keep this world a safe one was matched only by his own.

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Please review! It honestly does help me crank out the chapters faster.


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N:** I am absolutely boggled by the reception that I got for the last chapter, and I'm really thrilled that so many people seem to be enjoying this story. Your reviews mean a lot to me and made me sit down and write this chapter sooner than I normally would have. I was asked about horcruxes – they will play a part in the story, but exactly what part, I'm not completely sure yet. I do know that they won't be as important as they were in canon. I was also asked for the chance to see more of Harry's siblings – so here you go, a chapter about the family. Sort of.

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Just as an additional note, anything spoken completely in italics is Parseltongue.

"Remind me again why we've been dragged along?"

Lia Potter turned to pin her older brother with the kind of flat, exasperated look that always made James wince when it crossed Lily's face. "Why?" she echoed, shuffling the magazines she'd stuffed under her arm and sounding less than impressed. "Why? Because_ one_ of us nearly got killed not two days ago, and Mum and Dad don't feel right in leaving us alone yet, and Sirius has stuff to do at Hogwarts today. _That's _why."

Harry winced. He'd been accosted when he'd gotten out of bed that morning by Padfoot, which was actually a more common occurrence than he wanted to admit. Sirius seemed to delight in ambushing Harry in his dog form. It had been amusing and more fun than he wanted to admit... until his godfather explained that Harry, Lia, Anna, and Jon were being sent along to Hogwarts with Sirius and Remus for the day. Lily and James had some Ministry function to attend that James, even as only a part-time Auror, couldn't weasel his way out of, and it seemed that after the random attack in Diagon Alley, neither of them felt comfortable leaving their children unattended at home.

It was kind of humiliating, really. Harry couldn't remember the last time when being left at home by himself was actually an issue. The only time the Dursleys had ever bothered was when they thought too much attention might be garnered by leaving such a young child at home alone, and they'd forced him over to Arabella Figg's house in some twisted pantomime of pretending to care about him. And while Sirius seemed like a much better baby-sitter than old Arabella Figg ever could have been, the thought that he was fifteen years old and still being baby-sat ate endlessly at him.

"Come on, pup," Sirius said, slinging an arm around his shoulders and jerking Harry out of his daze. He squeaked and tried to struggle away, but Sirius was too strong. He forcefully drew Harry out of the empty Headmaster's office, where they had Floo-ed in, and down the curving stairs. "Don't sulk; I've got a surprise for you. Your mother says that as soon as you visit Madam Pomfrey and get the okay, you can go flying."

That was enough to catch Harry's attention, and suddenly, the thought of being dragged to Hogwarts when all he really wanted to do was sit and wait for the chance to speak privately to Ginny didn't sound quite so bad. "Really?" he asked, craning his neck to peer up at Sirius suspiciously. "But... I haven't got a broom."

Sirius grinned, a mischievous twinkle in his eyes. "Let's see what Pomfrey says before you worry about that."

As it turned out, what Madame Pomfrey said was that she couldn't believe he'd inherited the Potter penchant for getting into trouble, and that the bruising in his shoulder was severe enough that she didn't feel comfortable giving him the okay to go flying yet – no matter how much he begged and pleaded. Harry returned to sulking as he followed Sirius out of the infirmary, hating the thought that he was so cut off from something that offered him so much comfort just because the muscles in his arm weren't completely healed. A good, fierce flight on his broom would have been exactly what he needed to clear his mind. It had been ages since he'd gotten the chance to feel that sensation, and he longed for it.

"I'm sorry, Harry," Sirius said, honestly contrite. "I wouldn't have mentioned it if I had thought she would say no. Pomfrey's a dragon sometimes, but if she says you're not ready to go flying, there's a reason."

"It's alright," Harry muttered, shoving his hands into his pockets. He winced when his shoulder twanged in discomfort, as though pointing out just how right Madam Pomfrey had been. The salve that Arabella had given him helped, but only so much. "Where are you going?"

"I have some things that I need to look into preparing for the term – I've got to finalize what you'll be learning this year. So does Remus. Minerva's getting antsy about sending out the letters." He smirked. "Anna and Jon are probably tearing around somewhere... and oh, Lia's likely up in the Gryffindor dorms if you want to go and join her," his godfather suggested. "I can give you the password. I'm sure you'll be a Gryffindor, so there's no harm. Hey, maybe we could get the Headmaster to sort you today..."

"Mum and Dad will want to be present for that," said Harry, who had no desire to face the Sorting Hat at any time soon. Even though Lily and Lia had been surprisingly receptive to the knowledge that he'd almost been in Slytherin, it still wasn't one of his favourite memories.

"Do you want me to show you the way to your parent's rooms?"

Harry glanced at him, realizing that Sirius didn't like the thought of leaving him to wander around alone. It made him straighten and offer a smile. "Don't worry, Sirius. In a place like Hogwarts, I don't see how you could ever be bored – or in danger," he added comfortingly. "I think I'll just wander around and see what's different." As he spoke, Harry's breath caught in his throat in realization. He_ did_ have something to do here... something much more important, and much more dangerous, than just a flight around the Quidditch Patch.

"If you're sure," Sirius said, hovering uncertainly. "You can always call for a house elf if you get lost."

"I will. Um... Sirius... who else is here at Hogwarts today?"

Sirius blinked at the question and looked thoughtful. "Most of the professors take off during the holiday. I think the only other ones, beside Pomfrey, Remus and me, are the headmaster, Sprout, and possibly Snape," he said, lip curling at the mention of the Slytherin.

"Professor Riddle's not around?" Harry asked, making his best attempt at seeming calm and collected. "Mal – err, Draco had told me how good of a teacher he was and I thought I'd ask him a few questions."

"Sorry, pup. Professor Dumbledore mentioned that Tom was visiting an old acquaintance of his in Sweden for the next couple of weeks," replied Sirius.

"Oh, okay. I guess I'll have to wait." Repressing the shudder that rose from hearing his godfather refer to Riddle so easily, Harry turned without any further conversation and sauntered casually away... at least until he rounded the corner. Then he broke into a flat-out sprint, heading for the second floor girl's lavatory.

Entering the Chamber of Secrets again was really one of the last things he wanted to do, especially by himself. Ginny would murder him when she found out. But he felt a driving force to know whether or not the basilisk remained beneath the school, and he didn't feel keen on making her face the chamber all over again. He would go down and take a quick look, that's all, and if the basilisk was still there, he would alert Professor Dumbledore so that it could be taken care of before Riddle used it as a weapon. Harry paused before the door to the lavatory, breathing hard. The thought of the creature being used to kill more innocent children – it was unthinkable. And really, he _was_ the only one on the side of the Light who could gain entrance to the Chamber to check.

Taking a deep breath, he reached out and placed his hand on the door, pushing it open slowly. He followed the swing inward with his own body, surveying the empty lavatory with distant eyes, remembering that horrible time in his second year. This time around, Moaning Myrtle was nowhere to be seen – did she even exist in this world? – and the room looked... different. Cold. Dusty. His footsteps echoed as he crossed the tile towards the taps. Even after three years, he could recall which one had the carving of the tiny silver snake with no problem at all. Harry bent down and looked at it closely.

"_Open_," he hissed.

The whole room trembled as the fountain began to move. Harry stumbled backwards and heard a cry from behind him. He whirled around and spotted his three siblings standing in the doorway, staring in horrified amazement as the deep, yawning hole leading to the Chamber of Secrets appeared. The shaking slowly stopped and Harry cursed inwardly as he regained his footing, wondering how he had failed to notice that he was being followed.

"What is _that_?" Lia asked breathlessly, her hazel eyes wide.

"What are you doing here?" Harry demanded instead of answering her question, glaring at them. "Did you... _follow _me?"

Lia stiffened a little, clearly not liking his tone. "We were just going to ask if you wanted to raid the kitchens," she snapped. "But you didn't hear me when I called your name. What_ is_ that place?"

"It's the entrance to the Chamber of Secrets," he said reluctantly. "I have to go down and check on something."

"The Chamber of Secrets?" Jon said, raising his eyebrows in a gesture reminiscent of Remus. "That place is a myth."

"No, it's unfortunately real." Harry rolled his sleeves up and turned towards the hole. He pulled his wand out and briefly wondered if he was making a mistake. But there was a driving force within him to know, and now that he was so close, he couldn't bring himself to just walk away.

"Wait!" In about two seconds, Lia had crossed the room to stand beside him, her wand in her hand. She brushed several strands of auburn hair out of her eyes and gazed into the hole. "I'm coming with you."

"What? No!"

"Yes." Determination glittered in her eyes. "We've all heard the legends surrounding the Chamber and what might be laying in wait. I can't let you go down there by yourself. What if something went wrong?"

"It's too dangerous," he protested weakly, desperately wishing that could think of some argument that would make her reconsider. Taking Lia along wasn't at all like going with Ginny into battle. He knew that Ginny was a more than competent witch, and that she could handle herself against pretty much anything. Lia may have been the daughter of James and Lily, both of whom were extremely powerful, but he had no idea of her magical strength or control.

"Harry, I'm coming," said Lia. There was a steely glint in her eyes that he recognized. It was the same look that Neville, Ginny, and Luna had worn when he'd tried to discourage them from coming along to the Ministry. He gave in with a resigned nod, and Lia turned to the twins. "You two wait here," she ordered. "If I find out you tried to follow us, Mum and Dad will be the least of your worries once I get a hold of you. Got it?"

Anna and Jon both nodded silently, though neither one looked pleased. Harry cast one more glance at them before he stepped over the edge. It was a harrowing and_ long_ slide down, one that was every bit as frightening as it had been in his second year. By the time he reached the bottom, he was reconsidering the intelligence of this plan. Unfortunately, it was too late to turn and call up to Lia, as she was right behind him. Harry scrambled to his feet and caught her instinctively before she could go tumbling like he had, not wanting to admit that he was starting to think this had been a bad idea. This place was so much more dark and dank and _cold_ than he remembered.

"It feels bad down here," Lia murmured, pulling free of his grip with a nod of thanks. Her hazel eyes assessed the area calmly, and her wand remained steady in her hand as she took a few steps forward. "What exactly are we looking for?"

"Slytherin's pet," Harry said grimly. "I just want to see if it's still here."

"Why?"

"Because it's dangerous." Harry quietly cast a lighting charm as he moved. The small area they stood in brightened slowly, revealing a long, narrow path. "In my world, it caused a lot of trouble. If it's still down here, I want Professor Dumbledore to destroy it before anyone else stumbles across it.

"So remind me again why _we're_ the ones checking it out?" Lia cast the spell as well and held her wand up, peering curiously into the pathway. Harry was pleased to see that her _Lumos_ charm created a strong, steady light.

"I'm the only one who could," he answered, trying to keep his voice down. They walked in silence after that, as though Lia had sensed his desire to make as little sound as possible. Harry strained his eyes until they stung from the dim light and stale air, but he couldn't make out any sign that anyone had been down there at any recent point. He kept up a fast pace that Lia easily matched until they came to the door of snakes, where he stopped and stared for a moment before he cleared his throat, trying to imagine that the snakes were moving. "_Open up and let us through_."

Lia gasped. "You're a Parselmouth?" she asked, sounding awed.

"Yeah," Harry said after a beat, feeling his stomach tighten. He couldn't quite keep the defensiveness out of his voice. "So?"

Lia stepped up beside him and held her wand next to his face so that she could see better. Her expression was curious as she searched his face intently, but suddenly, her eyes softened and she smiled, lowering the light a bit. "You need to talk to Mum when we go back to the surface, okay?"

"Okay..." he said slowly, giving her a curious look. But this wasn't the time for questions; he needed her to know something important. "Lia, listen. If you... If you hear any hissing that's not me, or – or any sound, really, close your eyes, alright? Don't try to see what it is."

His sister's face paled slightly, but she nodded and followed him through the door. "It's really cold down here," she said quietly, shuddering. "I feel kind of... strange."

Harry just nodded absently, not really listening. He barely noticed the chill in the air as he looked around the enormous room and frowned even more deeply when he heard a woman's voice screaming faintly, like it was coming from a long ways off. "Did you hear that?"

"Hear what?"

"I thought I heard someone screaming."

"I don't hear anything..." Lia's voice trailed off and she shivered. Her free hand snaked out and slipped into Harry's, holding onto him tightly. Harry glanced at her, surprised, but allowed the grip to remain. The last person who had held his hand was Ginny, and that had been in the heat of the battle. As awkward as it had been to duel while holding onto someone, it had allowed him to focus when he didn't have to worry about where she was, and the strength of her grip had been comforting. Remembering that, he tightened his own fingers around Lia's and gave her a reassuring smile.

"Don't worry. I'm just going to see if the Chamber has been disturbed recently," he said, knowing that his original plan was a chance he couldn't take with Lia around. "Forget checking on the basilisk. It's asking for trouble, and I'm not sure how to do it without waking it up. But the house elves don't even come down here, so it should be easy to see if anyone else has been."

He began to walk forward and was conscious of the fact that Lia fell into step behind him, though he kept his eyes pinned on the large statue of Salazar Slytherin that graced the front of the Chamber of Secrets. If he were to speak the correct incantation, he knew the large mouth would drop open and most likely release a dangerous and deadly creature. What had he been thinking, letting Lia come down here with him? Even coming down here in the first place? What had sounded like a brilliant and important idea when he'd been speaking to Sirius now seemed like one of his worst ideas ever. Ginny really _was_ going to kill him, and rightfully so, at that.

"Do you think anyone has been down here?" Lia asked.

"I don't think so. It doesn't look like this place has been disturbed for years," Harry admitted, surveying the rather dusty space. "I think it's safe to –" He cut himself off abruptly as the sound of screaming grew louder, from a dull, distant sound to a loud roar that nearly deafened him. Only now, he could recognize the sound as those of Lily Potter as she pleaded desperately for her son's life. When his eyes fluttered shut, a flash of green light was all he could see. His breath caught in his throat as a feeling of icy cold swept over him, and he distantly heard Lia scream.

From high above them, appearing like a swarm of bats, Dementors began to swirl downwards out of the darkness. Lia gave a choking whimper and stumbled backwards. She tripped and fell, dragging Harry along with her. The impact with the floor shook him out of his stupor, and he fumbled to cancel the _Lumos_ charm and get his wand up. His mind felt completely blank as the cloaked figures began to fly in a circle around them, gradually getting lower with each pass. Harry heard that thin, rattling sound that never failed to send chills down his spine and shuddered. Bile rose in his throat as the thick, rotting stench of death wafted over him and he choked it back, struggling to concentrate.

"_Ex... __Expecto... Expecto P-Patronum_..." he stuttered, pointing his wand at the creatures. Nothing happened, not even the faintest wisp of silvery light. Harry closed his eyes and tried to forget about the Dementors so that he could focus on a happy memory. It was easy to think of one – what could be happier than waking up in this world where his parents and Sirius were alive? – but it was difficult to focus. Lia was crying and whimpering, and he could feel the whispery thin fabric of the Dementor's cloak brushing against his hair when it passed down low. The stone floor was so cold that he could feel the biting chill eating into his legs, and his fingers ached with the beginnings of frostbite. He struggled to push aside all of that and summed up everything he had.

"_Expecto Patronum_!" he yelled, forcing his fingers to direct his wand upwards. A thin, misty light spiralled forth from the wand, but it was nothing like the raging stag that had always appeared from his holly wand. The Dementors soared upwards, away from the mist, but all too soon it had dissipated and they returned, even closer than before. Harry fell back with a soft cry, realizing that his hands were shaking. He didn't have it in him to make another attempt... And the Dementors were coming, were nearly on him, with their scaly gray hands reaching towards him and his little sister, ready to devour their souls...

"_Expecto Patronum_!" Two voices bellowed together. A silvery doe cantered into midst of Dementors, sending them scattering. The misty form of an owl followed, chasing the creatures that fled into the darkness above. The doe stood protectively in front of Harry and Lia, head tilted up towards the ceiling, as though ready to face any Dementor that dared to return.

"Harry!" Someone grabbed his shoulder. Harry opened eyes that he hadn't even realized he'd closed and looked up into the worried face of Draco Malfoy. "Come on. We've got to get out of here."

"L-Lia..." Harry mumbled, his body shaking uncontrollably.

"Uncle Sev has her. Let's go!"

Harry allowed Malfoy to help him to his feet. He was only vaguely aware of the fact that they were running towards the exit to the Chamber of Secrets – or rather, that Malfoy was running, and Harry was being half carried, half dragged – and that they were indeed following the familiar form of Professor Severus Snape, who cradled an unconscious Lia in his arms. No Dementor dared to follow, as Snape's doe patronus cantered around the group as they ran. The trip back to the slide seemed like something out of a dream; Harry didn't even react when Snape murmured an incantation and gave a flip of his wand that created a luminous disk of light beneath their feet which acted like an elevator.

"Harry!" Sirius cried the second they were back above the ground. He, Remus, Jon, and Anna had been waiting in the small lavatory. Without hesitation, he snatched Harry out of Malfoy's arms and embraced his godson tightly. "Oh my god, are you alright?"

"I'm fine, Sirius," Harry muttered, embarrassed. He wasn't, not really – his legs didn't seem to want to support him, and he was extremely annoyed when Sirius tenderly and carefully passed him to Remus before rushing to help attend to the still unconscious Lia – but he was loathe to admit it. Remus embraced him, then helped him to sit down on the ground. After casting a warming charm, Remus reached into his pocket and drew out a large bar of chocolate, which he cracked into several pieces. Harry took one gratefully. "What happened?" he asked hoarsely, surprised by the fact that his throat stung when he swallowed. Had he been screaming?

"The twins came and found Uncle Sev after you two went down there," said Malfoy. He also accepted a large piece of the chocolate and bit into it, chewing slowly. "They were concerned about what the trouble you might run into. Uncle Sev alerted the Headmaster and we came to see if you and Lia were in need of aide. It was lucky that we did. Who knew that there were Dementors underneath the school?"

"Certainly not I," said Dumbledore grimly as he entered the lavatory with Madame Pomfrey in tow, pale blue eyes flashing. He surveyed the room as Madame Pomfrey hurried over to Lia, Snape, and Sirius. Harry met the man's gaze for only a moment before he looked down, feeling ashamed. His stupid actions could have gotten both he and Lia killed, and would have had Jon and Anna not had the foresight to run for help. As he quietly gnawed on a bit of chocolate, he mused that the two of them would likely be Ravenclaws, not headstrong, occasionally idiotic Gryffindors.

"Severus, please help Poppy take Miss Potter and Mr Potter to the infirmary," Dumbledore requested. "Mr Malfoy, I would request that you go as well, even though you were only exposed to the Dementors for a brief period of time. It would not hurt for you to have a brief rest. Sirius, Remus, we must contact the Ministry to find out how the Dementors escaped from the wards around Azkaban, and then dispose of those creatures. I will not have them roaming beneath the school when the students return." He didn't say it, but Harry could tell that Dumbledore was also anxious to figure out just how the Dementors had gotten beneath the school in the first place.

Harry could have told him. In his old world, Voldemort had been trying so hard to get the Dementors over to his side, and it had been only a matter of time before the disgusting creatures defected to the side of the Dark. He had no doubt that this was Tom Riddle's doing, perhaps as a way to get rid of anyone who found the entrance to the Chamber of Secrets, or as a preparation for some kind of insidious plot. But he remained silent, even as those piercing blue eyes met and held his. Only when Malfoy's hand landed on his shoulder and helped him to stand up again did he look away.

It was obvious that neither Sirius nor Remus wanted to leave Harry and Lia, but both of them did as the Headmaster had requested. Harry couldn't help but notice that there didn't seem to be any animosity between Sirius and Snape as he and Malfoy walked out of the room. Sirius had leaned over and spoken to Snape quietly, and Snape had merely nodded before he stood up and helped Madame Pomfrey to place Lia on a stretcher. He continued to watch the man silently on the trip to the Hospital Wing, noting the tender way with which he treated Lia. Perhaps, without having become a Death Eater in the first place, Snape was not nearly as bitter as he had been. Was it possible that there was a world where Sirius Black and Severus Snape could actually not hate each other with a passion?

"Creepy," Harry said to himself, pulling away from Malfoy so that he could sit down on one of the hospital beds. It felt good to rest his trembling legs.

"What?" Malfoy glanced at him as he sat down on a free bed. Harry looked at him. He could tell that the Slytherin had been affected by the brush with the Dementors, no matter what the blond might say. Malfoy's face was pale, even though his cheeks were flushed, and his hand shook a little when he reached out to pick up a glass of water. For the life of him, Harry couldn't believe that Draco Malfoy had actually gone into a potentially dangerous situation to help rescue_ him_. It was nearly unthinkable.

"Nothing," said Harry, and then, slightly awkwardly, he added, "Thanks, Draco."

Draco looked shocked. Then a small, pleased smile formed on his lips and he said, "You're welcome, Harry."

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**A/N: **Remember that reviews make a girl work faster! Also, Happy Valentine's Day.


	10. Chapter 10

I know it took me a while to update this, but believe me when I say that work has been insane for the past month. In a normally five person office, two people were out sick, which means I had to do the job for three people. Needless to say, fanfiction wasn't the first thing on my mind when I got home every night. I hope you enjoy... it's not the best chapter I've done, but oh well.

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Lily Potter didn't say a word. It wasn't really required. She just stood over her rather sheepish looking son with her hands on her hips and shook her head very slowly. James shot a 'boy are you in for it' glance at his oldest child and helpfully closed the flimsy set of curtains that surrounded Harry's hospital bed before casting a privacy charm that would prevent anyone else from hearing the lecture that he was certain was about to happen. He hadn't gotten a chance to say anything to Harry, but when Lily was in a mood like she was, sometimes it was better and safer to just stay out of the way.

Harry looked down at his knees as the curtains closed and clenched his fingers into the blanket, feeling a bit betrayed. He didn't like that look on Lily's face. It was a strange combination of worry, apprehension, and exasperation. That, coupled with the way that she was just standing there _looking_ at him, was enough to make him squirm nervously. The urge to explain his actions was strong, but the words kept getting caught in his throat. Somehow, he didn't think there would be any explanation good enough to satisfy his mother.

"Oh Harry, what are we going to do with you?" Lily asked after a long time. She sat down on the bed beside Harry, who was quite pleased that she didn't sound as angry as he had anticipated. In fact, her voice was calm. "I just don't understand what motivates you to... to do things like this. First the battle, and now entering the Chamber of Secrets with just your little sister for back-up? Without even telling someone that you were going? Didn't you two know how much danger you were putting yourself in?"

He flushed and kept staring at his knees, well aware of the implied "and Ginny and your sister" that hung at the end of her sentence. No wonder Ron had always been reluctant to get in trouble in his old world, if this was how guilty a parent could make one feel. It was like someone had reached into his chest and pressed their hand down on his heart, squeezing slowly. "I'm sorry," he said finally.

Lily sighed and reached out, gently running her fingers through his hair. Hair that reminded her so much of James that it hurt. "No, you're not," she said with a crooked little smile. "You're just like your father. Sorry you got caught, and sorry that you've caused us worry, and maybe even sorry that Lia and Ginny got hurt, but you're not sorry that you did it, are you?"

Surprised that Lily had been able to articulate his thoughts so well, he glanced up at her. "You... you're not mad at me?"

"Oh, I am _very_ angry at you," Lily replied. "And don't think you're going to be able to get out of a punishment. But even more so, I'm concerned. I wish to Merlin that we had never cast that spell on you, Harry. If I had understood what it would be like..." Her voice trailed off, and her hand moved to cup his cheek, forcing him to look into her eyes. "I love you so much, but you're virtually a stranger to me, and that breaks my heart every time I remember it."

"I'm sorry," he said again, unsure of what else to say.

She smiled sadly. "It's not your fault, honey. We just have to deal with the consequences of the choices we made, even if they're not very good ones. I just wish I knew what happened to you that makes you act so... recklessly."

Those words were enough to make Harry want to spill everything about his old world – about the prophecy and Voldemort. His mother's emerald eyes were so warm, and her expression so loving. Her thumb was gently stroking his cheek, and it was the kind of tenderness that he had always dreamed about when he was laying in his cupboard as a child. Everything about Lily said that she would completely understand. But still, the words refused to come. He bit his lip, confused and ashamed.

Even that, Lily seemed to understand, for again that sad smile touched her lips and as she sat back a little, her hand dropped to rest atop one of his. "Lia says you're a parselmouth," she said.

His stomach tightened briefly. It was a change of subject, certainly, but he wasn't sure it was much better than the last one. "Yes, I am," he said uncertainly, recalling his horrible second year of Hogwarts.

Lily nodded. "I'd hoped one of you would be."

"What?" Harry said, shocked, and stared, only just now realizing that Lily didn't seem upset or startled by the news. In fact, she looked... pleased?

"Didn't you know?" Lily asked, eyes twinkling. "Harry, in order for a muggle family to produce a witch or wizard, that means there must be some form of magic that was introduced into the line at some point. It can lay dormant for centuries, but it's still there. Magic doesn't just appear out of nowhere." She paused and shook her hair out of her face, drawing it back with a gesture so reminiscent of Lia that he had to smile. "I learned about this in my sixth year of Hogwarts, and I set about tracing the Evans' family tree. It took me years to follow every line, but I did it. Several centuries ago, a distant descendant of Salazar Slytherin himself married into the line. That's where most of our magic comes from."

His jaw dropped. "We're related to... to..."

"Yes. The blood is quite diluted, of course, but Slytherin was rumoured to be an extremely powerful wizard, so it's not surprising that one of his gifts would have shown up. I imagine that the Potter blood would have brought it out in you," she added. "And over the years, I noticed that other witches and wizards have come into the Evans' line at certain points, though I was the first witch in over four centuries."

"Are _you _a parselmouth?" he asked blankly, which was the only question that he could think to ask.

"No, unfortunately not. I wish I was. It must be wonderful to be able to speak to snakes," Lily said, looking a bit dreamy. She must have caught sight of his tense expression, for she went on, "Don't worry about what people will say to you or about you, Harry. There's nothing wrong with having an ability like yours. It's the witch and wizard that makes magic good or evil, not the magic itself."

"Professor Dumbledore said something like that to me once," he admitted softly, still a little shell shocked over the major piece of information that Lily had just dropped on him. He wondered if this had also been true in his old world. Had anyone ever set about tracing the Evans family tree with the tenacity that Lily had? What if his parselmouth ability hadn't come from Voldemort at all?

"Lily?" The curtains parted a bit to allow James to stick his head through. "I'm sorry to disturb, but the Weasleys and Hermione Granger are here. Ginny Weasley wants to know if she can see Harry."

Lily smirked when Harry's face paled slightly. "Absolutely," she said knowingly, with nothing short of an evil smile. "You can send her right in."

"Mum!" Harry whined, just barely stopping himself from flinging his body at her robes to keep her around. Lily just chuckled and skirted the bed as she joined her husband on the opposite side of the curtains. Less than a minute later, they parted again and Ginny Weasley came in.

Like Lily, she didn't say a single word at first. She just stood there and stared at him. Harry felt a bead of sweat forming on his forehead and swallowed hard, wondering if it would be better to break the silence, or if he should just wait until she choose to speak. He didn't have to wait for long. Without any warning, Ginny snatched up one of the spare pillows that Madame Pomfrey had placed on the bed and whipped him across the head.

"Ow! That hurt!"

"It was supposed to! How could you be so bloody stupid!"

"Ow! Ginny, stop!"

"You knew how dangerous that place was and you – went – anyway!"

Harry yelped as each word was punctuated with another blow from the pillow. Lifting his hands, he grabbed the feathery weapon and held on when she tried to raise it for another hit. "I just wanted to see if the basilisk was still there!" he said, tightening his grip. "I didn't think you'd want to come because of the memories. If I'd known what was down there, I wouldn't have brought Lia along."

"No," Ginny said quietly, an emotion he didn't quite recognize in her eyes. "You would've gone down yourself and gotten killed when the Dementors swarmed over you. Or gotten eaten by that stupid snake! It's not about whether you put Lia in danger, Harry – although that was also marvellously stupid of you – but the fact that _you_ could've been killed!"

"I..." Harry said awkwardly, staring at her. "I'm sorry?"

Ginny's eyes narrowed.

Harry sighed and released his grip on the pillow.

Five hits later (that actually felt much harder than the original ones she'd bestowed on him, if that were possible), Ginny chucked the pillow over her shoulder through the curtain and sat down on the edge of the bed with a huff, ignoring Sirius' shout as the pillow hit him in the face. She scowled at his apologetic expression and shook her head slowly.

"You just don't get it," she muttered. "Harry, no matter how bad those memories are, I would have gone down there with you."

"But I didn't want you to. I didn't want you to have to go through that."

"So you'd rather go at it by yourself?" Ginny asked wearily.

"Ginny..."

Harry had only ever been kissed once in his life. In the fifth year of his original world, he'd kissed Cho Chang just once. It hadn't been a very pleasurable experience, and he'd often joked since that if that was what kissing was like, he'd be just as glad if he never kissed anyone again, thank you very much. Cho had been wet and crying and salty and he'd walked away feeling revolted and a bit sad.

Kissing Ginny wasn't anything like that. Once he got over his shock (which took a couple of moments) and started kissing her back, he realized it was actually very... nice. More than nice. It was amazing, actually. The kind of kiss that he could feel all the way down to his toes, which curled beneath the sheets. And when Ginny sighed and started to draw back, his hands – which had somehow found their way into her fiery hair at some point – pulled her back, because it wasn't enough. Harry got the feeling, as their lips moved tenderly together, that it would _never_ be enough.

"Whoa!" a voice choked, and this time when Ginny backed off, he let her as they turned to face Sirius, who was grinning broadly. "Sorry, kiddo, but Poppy's here to check you over."

"Great timing, Sirius," Harry muttered. He didn't think he needed Madame Pomfrey to look him over. His whole body was tingling and felt as though he'd just eaten twenty pounds of chocolate. Instinctively, he caught Ginny's hand when she went to stand and sent her a look that implored her to stay. Frowning slightly, she did, perching nervously on the edge of his bed as the nurse rounded the curtains. Sirius disappeared with a wicked grin and a wink in Harry's direction.

"Just a routine check, Harry," said Pomfrey. She shook her head as she held her wand up. "Honestly, I would have thought that you would do everything in your power not to come back here after you were so anxious to leave."

"So would I," mumbled Ginny. Harry found her hand on the bed and squeezed it.

The scan didn't take very long, and soon she stood back with an approving smile on her face. "Chocolate really is the best cure for a Dementor attack," she said, tucking her wand into a sash at her waist. "Have a bit more before you go to bed tonight, and it wouldn't hurt if you drank a Dreamless Sleep potion. A good night's sleep will do wonders for you."

Harry nodded as she turned and left, then looked at Ginny. She was staring at the floor with a faint flush on her cheeks. He wanted to say something – anything – to her, but his mind was coming up blank. Worse, he knew that they would only have a few minutes before they were interrupted again, and he had never been very good at thinking quickly under pressure. Ginny, however, took a deep breath and turned to face him. Her expression was completely serious, and her golden eyes were intent.

"I didn't know how else to make you see that you're not alone," she said.

"I thought you were in love with Dean Thomas," Harry said, remembering that last train he'd had with his friends.

"That was just to annoy Ron." Ginny flipped her hair over her shoulder and smirked. "Like I was going to let him dictate whether or not I could be with you? That's _my _choice. Not his."

"It worked," he told her, remembering the unattractive shade of purple that Ron had turned.

"I know."

Silence fell between them again, but this time, it wasn't quite as awkward as it had been. Harry looked down at their joined hands. He'd held Ginny's hand before, but now it felt different. He was very aware of how soft her skin was and how well her fingers fit within his. Her hand was shaking a little, twitching now and then. She must have noticed him looking, because she spoke.

"It's from the curse," she said. "It can still affect the muscles for a couple of days afterwards. The Healer told me it should go away soon."

Harry sighed. "You shouldn't have jumped in front of that curse, Gin. Who was it, anyway?"

Ginny stared. "You mean you didn't recognize her?" she said incredulously. "I mean, her voice was a little different, but..."

He flushed. "I was more focused on trying to subdue her than in trying to figure out who it was," he said wryly. "But I've had some time to think and I can make an educated guess." Or rather, he'd come up with one of the only Death Eaters who could have invoked that much rage from Ginny. "It was Bellatrix, wasn't it?"

"Yeah," Ginny nodded. "Who else?"

"So I guess the Death Eaters are active in this world, though no one seems to know about them. Maybe there's just not as many of them. Or he's trying to keep them more under wraps. But why the attack on Diagon Alley? What was he trying to prove?"

Ginny shrugged. "Who knows how that psychopath's mind works?" she asked. "You know that the attacks in the old world weren't always for gain. Most of the time, it was just to scare people. Tom Riddle might be trying to build his reputation all over again."

"Ginny..."

"Hmm?"

"Can I..." Harry felt himself blushing. He knew this was an important thing to discuss, but all he could think about was how good it had felt to kiss her, and how much he wanted to do it again. "Can I kiss you again?"

She smiled and leaned forward. "You don't have to ask."

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TBC. Yes, I finally moved their relationship on to the next step. I felt that it was time. Please review!


	11. Chapter 11

**A/N:** Sorry for my rather long absence (no, I'm not dead, though apparently before I uploaded the last chapter, a lot of you thought I was). I've recently working on completing a couple of other stories. One has been finished and the other is mostly done, so I'll have more time to focus on this story (that's a good thing). This chapter involves a time skip, which I dislike doing on a whole, but sometimes you have no choice. I really hope that the information introduced is clear and easy to follow. If not, please let me know. Now, enjoy!

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The next few weeks went by fast for Harry, though there were times when it felt agonizingly slow. He was slowly but surely adjusting to life with parents and siblings, and no matter how strange it felt initially, he found that it was everything he'd ever hoped for. Even when James and Sirius teased him mercilessly about Ginny (and rest assured, they did tease the hell out of him), he just sat back and looked at them and smiled widely. Usually it spooked his father and godfather enough so that they would eventually leave off. Remus seemed to find this extremely amusing for some reason.

James did recall himself enough to sit Harry down and speak to his son seriously about not becoming too involved with anyone too soon. It was an awkward conversation at best, because Harry found it difficult to explain the attraction he felt for Ginny. Yes, she was a beautiful and extremely powerful witch, and yes, she was confident, articulate, and strong, even if she did have a temper to rival Lily's, and yes, she was the only one who remembered the old world. But what he liked even more about her was how she always understood, and that a whole conversation could happen between them without either of them saying a word. How could he explain that? And yet... after he finished babbling, James just looked at him for a long time and seemed to understand. After that, he stopped teasing his son.

Harry spent a good portion of each day scanning the many newspapers that his parents received, but there was no mention of Tom Riddle, Lord Voldemort, the Death Eaters, or anything even remotely suspicious. No one was ever accused of being behind the attack on Diagon Alley, and eventually, the media dropped the subject in favour of more interesting topics. Because of this, Harry came to understand that the Ministry of Magic was every bit as inept in this world as it had been in the last, but then again, that failed to surprise him. He had never planned to depend on Fudge for anything.

Aside from that, his life had been – dare he suggest it – pretty peaceful, and it was about three weeks after the incident at Hogwarts, as the adults in his life had taken to calling it, when Lily first broached the subject of his birthday. Harry, who had been in the middle of eating a particularly delicious lunch, glanced up at her in surprise. He'd never really put much forethought into his birthday, as the only celebration he had was usually comprised of sitting in Dudley's old bedroom and receiving letters and gifts from his friends by owl. The concept of a party was almost completely foreign, though he supposed that he must have had one when he was too young to remember.

"My birthday?" he echoed blankly. "Yeah, I guess it's only a couple of days away. Why?"

"I'd like to throw you a party," Lily said with obvious surprise, cleaning the dishes in the sink with a twitch of her wand. "I thought we could hold it here, and invite some of your friends. Ginny, of course, and Hermione and Draco... Ron and Fred and George Weasley, and some of the children that will be your classmates when you get to Hogwarts. Neville Longbottom, the Patil twins, Amelia Bones' niece Susan... It would do you good to meet them ahead of time. It will make starting at Hogwarts less of an adjustment."

"If you want to," Harry said, lowering his spoon into his bowl of soup. He had the feeling that this was going to be another 'everyone stares at Harry' type of things, which didn't exactly make him want to jump for joy. "It might be nice to see some people my own age."

"Excellent," said his mother, her eyes sparkling. "The last party I planned for you was so long ago, Harry... what would you like to do? We can do anything."

Anything? Harry was stumped. "I don't know," he admitted. "I've never really had one before."

Lily's jaw tightened. She hadn't forgotten Harry's comment about growing up with her sister, and ever since then, whenever he said something that didn't sound right, she attributed it to the life of a young wizard with Petunia Dursley. It made her want nothing more than to track the woman down and introduce her to the business end of a wand combined with a few curses, but she controlled herself.

"Why don't we surprise you, then?" she said, trying to act as though her hands weren't shaking with rage. "I'm sure we can up with something that will be fun."

The Floo alarm sounded, interrupting whatever answer Harry was going to give. The two of them glanced up at the ceiling expectantly, and moments later when Lia called his name, Harry quickly finished the rest of his soup and hurried out of the kitchen. He was hoping it was Ginny, but wasn't completely shocked to see Hermione's face floating in the flames. The excited expression on her face made his stomach clench with hope. For so long, she and Draco had come up empty on the concept of time travel, even though they'd been researching at every spare moment. Had they finally found something?

"Hello Hermione," he greeted, trying to act casual for Lia's benefit. His sister was curled up in one of the library's chairs. She had clearly been reading a book, but now she was glaring outright at the top of the fireplace. Harry tried not to notice that the book she was holding was titled, _101 Ways to Silence Even the Loudest Alarm_.

"Hey Harry," said Hermione cheerfully. "Could you come through to Malfoy Manor? Draco and I need to speak to you about something."

Harry's hand froze in the act of reaching for the Floo powder and he turned slowly, aware of Lia's and Hermione's gazes on him. "You want me to come to Malfoy Manor?" he asked, just to be certain. Go into the lair of the enemy? Be at the mercy of Lucius and Narcissa? He was beginning to get used to the idea of trusting Draco Malfoy, but he'd never trust his parents. "Why don't you guys just come here?"

"We'll have more privacy here," Hermione said, her eyes narrowing slightly. "We want to show you something that can't go beyond the wards of the manor. What's wrong?"

"Nothing," he lied, stomach squirming uncomfortably. But surely if Hermione, a muggleborn witch, was there, it would be alright for him as well? It wasn't like he was the Boy-Who-Lived in this world, after all. Harry took a deep breath and picked up a glossy handful of glittering powder. "Back up, I'm coming through," he instructed. "Lia, let Mum know where I've gone, would you?" He fought back the urge to add a warning about what to do if he didn't return in a set amount of time, knowing that it would only upset Hermione.

Lia nodded without looking up. "Sure."

Hermione disappeared and Harry stepped up to the fireplace. He took a deep breath and tossed the Floo powder into the fireplace, then took a step forward and called out the name of his destination. The fire snapped him up and flung him into the pathways, through a spidery set of wards, and spit him out on the other side. His foot caught the edge of the grid and he tripped, landing hard on his hands and knees. A pair of polished boots and gray slacks appeared in front of his face, and he glanced up to see Draco standing in front of him, a hand stretched out to help Harry stand.

"You needn't kneel, Harry," Draco said, looking amused.

"I hate traveling by Floo," Harry muttered in response, gripping the blond's hand and allowing Draco to pull him to his feet. "What is it with wizarding transportation that makes it so awful?"

"I'm told Apparition is far easier," Hermione told him, eyes sympathetic but mouth twitching with what was undeniably an amused smile. "Side-along can be difficult, but allowing your own magic to transport you through the current is not as hard on the body. In fact – "

"In fact, we need to get moving," interrupted Ginny. She'd come around the corner while Hermione was getting ready to go into full lecture mode. Harry's eyes lit up when he spotted her. "I'm sorry, Mione, but I don't know how long it will be before Mum notices I'm gone. Ever since she found out about me and Harry, she's been even more focused on keeping me at home. She seems to think he's a bit of a troublemaker," she added, grinning.

Harry huffed and reached out an arm, drawing her to him. He ducked his head and caught the slightest hint of vanilla and honey, a soothing combination. "A month in this world and my reputation already precedes me," he muttered.

Ginny laughed. "She was right, you can't deny that," she teased.

Draco rolled his eyes at their playful banter and walked back towards one of the tables, where there were numerous books spread out. Hermione stayed where she was and watched her friends with a warm smile. Already, she could tell that Ginny had been good for Harry, and vice versa. He wasn't as tense as he had been before, and she seemed to take strength from his presence. The two of them were still wary about acting like a couple in front of anyone else, but Hermione and Draco seemed to be the exception to that, and Hermione liked that.

"I hate to break up the love fest, but shall we get started?" Draco asked, looking up at them. He held up a book. "As you said, Ginevra, we haven't got much time, and there's a lot of theory here to work through."

Once the four of them were seated around the table, Hermione stood up and cleared her throat. "As you know, we've been researching how any of this would be possible. We believe that we might have found a somewhat reasonable, though far-fetched, explanation. Still, this is magic we're talking about, and that means anything is possible. So, have either of you ever heard of _aetas arenae_?"

"Uh, no," Harry said, glancing at Ginny. She shrugged.

"Loosely translated, it means 'sands of time'," Hermione explained, clearly having expected this reaction. "I was researching into the use of Time Turners and discovered quite a bit of information about them that's not normally public knowledge. For example, I discovered that the actual Time Turner itself is not inherently magical. It's the sand inside that actually transports you through time. This sand – _aetas arenae_ – is housed inside of a Time Turner because it is believed to be unstable; it's dangerous for witches and wizards to handle without the proper qualifications, including a potion that will make you impervious to the effects for a certain amount of time. A few specks of _aetas arenae_ is enough to send the average witch or wizard back in time several years."

Harry frowned. "How can that be?" he asked. "I used a Time Turner once. It took several turns to take us back even a few hours."

Hermione smiled. "That's the thing," she said excitedly. "A Time Turner is designed to be unbreakable for that very reason, Harry. It acts as a barrier to keep the carefully measured amount of _aetas arenae_ inside in check. That's why you need so many turns to go back in time. The people I told you, the ones who tried those experiments of going back in time for several years? They were Unspeakable using special Time Turners specifically designed by the Ministry, with barriers that weren't as powerful.

"However, much of our research has led me to believe that _aetas arenae_ by itself isn't particularly unstable. Dangerous, yes, because you have far less control in where you will end up. If one piece of sand represents a year, even a couple of extra granules would be catastrophic." She shook her head, an impressed look on her face. "If you were to somehow get your hands on _aetas arenae_ – which would be extremely difficult, mind you, as what little there is has already been used in Time Turners – you could theoretically travel to whenever you wanted."

"But didn't you say that such extreme Time Travel kills people?" Ginny said. "This is all very interesting, but I'm not sure how it relates to Voldemort changing reality."

"Time travel can kill you when you use a Time Turner," Draco said, picking up the explanation. "I managed to get a hold of some of the more private files from the Ministry using my father's connections. _Aetas arenae_ is so rare and thought to be so dangerous that most of the experiments performed were with Time Turners. Few people have done anything with just _aetas arenae_ because those who did rarely returned. They likely became trapped in time, unable to return. Time travel is probably not pleasant, and I expect a few bits of sand aren't easy to hold on to."

"It's a much safer way to travel for longer times, though, because it's the Time Turner itself that makes _aetas arenae_ unstable," Hermione concluded triumphantly, eyes gleaming. "Let's say you have a Time Turner and you use it to spin yourself back ten years. Well, what happens is that the _aetas arenae_ inside is required to expel a_ ton_ of power. Far more than if you were say, going back ten minutes. But only a small portion of that power is getting through the barrier because it's so strong. The _aetas arenae_ will actually build so much power that the Time Turner often ends up fracturing. It's not strong enough to handle that build up of power. Not only can people sometimes be blown off course, but that power will leech through and attack the nearest magical source... the wizard or witch using it. It literally starts erasing the person from existence, causing their body to break down in the process."

"And if the barrier is thinner, like in those special experiments they were doing?" Draco said, grimacing slightly. "It still works out to be the same principle. You could go back a few years, but anything more and the result will be identical. _Aetas arenae _that has become too strong and a Time Turner that can't control it. That's why the Ministry only regulates the use of Time Turners for short periods of time."

"So what you're suggesting is that Voldemort got a hold of _aetas arenae_?" Harry said slowly, working it all out in his mind. "And he used it to... to what? Go back in time several years?"

Draco and Hermione exchanged looks, and then Hermione nodded. "We believe so. _Aetas arenae_ would no doubt be extraordinarily difficult to work with, but in the right conditions, I imagine it could be done," she said. "The time travel would still be very harsh on the body, and he might not live for very long, but since we don't know exactly how far he went back and you say he was an extremely powerful wizard, it's safe to assume that he could probably live long enough to make some changes."

"Like meeting his younger self and stopping Voldemort's rise to power from some unknown reason," Harry muttered, knowing that was where they were going. "But... Tom Riddle is so much younger in this time. There are some things that just don't add up."

"We don't have all of the answers, Harry," Hermione said gently. "Unfortunately, this is as far as we have gotten. It's the best that we've come up with."

"It's way more than we had before," Ginny spoke up. "This is excellent. I'd never heard of _aetas arenae_ but I'm sure it's the sort of thing that one of the Death Eaters could have procured on the black market."

"So... is it reversible?" asked Harry finally before Hermione could respond. It was the question that had been hanging over his head since this began. Would his parents and Sirius be taken from him again? Would he have to go back to that old world? He gazed anxiously at his friends, but no one said anything for a long moment. Once again, Hermione and Draco looked at each other, communicating silently. Ginny, watching them, bit her lip and reached out to place her hand on top of Harry's. Absently he twined their fingers together, holding on tightly.

"We're not sure, Harry," Draco said at last, breaking the silence. "But even if we could pinpoint the exact moment when Lord Voldemort choose to change reality – which is impossible – there is no way to know _exactly_ what he changed, and the smallest detail could have worldwide repercussions. We could change reality again, but we can't make it what it was before, and to attempt to do so could destroy the wizarding world as we know it." He took a deep breath. "You're stuck this way."

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**A/N:** Hands up – was anyone expecting that? That's right, this isn't going to be one of those "Harry goes back to the 'real world'" stories (come on, did you really think I could take Sirius and his parents away? I can be mean, but that's just downright cruel). This is for keeps! Please review!


	12. Chapter 12

**A/N:** I gather some of you dislike the fact that Harry can't get back to the "old" world. I'm sorry, but that was something I had planned on from the very beginning. Essentially, the story boils down to the fact that Voldemort made a huge mistake because of something he had not planned on. I hope that the following chapters will put your concerns to rest and that you'll continue to enjoy my story anyway.

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_**ATTACK ON DIAGON ALLEY; MULTIPLE KILLED AND WOUNDED**_  
_**By Rita Skeeter**_

_This reporter is certain that all of the _Daily Prophet's_ loyal readers will remember the attack on Diagon Alley that occurred just a few weeks ago. Since that time, the Auror Department of the Ministry of Magic has been working tirelessly to find out just who was behind the attack, but all potential leads have failed. The identity of those dark-robed figures has remained a mystery, and it has allowed them to strike again._

_Yes, ladies and gentlemen, the paper is sad to report that yet another attack happened yesterday afternoon in Diagon Alley, leaving over twenty-five wizards and witches deceased and many more wounded. _

"_They came from nowhere and attacked swiftly, silently, and with intent to kill," says Auror Rufus Scrimgeour, who professed as much surprise and concern as anyone over the attack. "We have evidence that there was ample use of the Unforgiveables, including the Killing Curse. The Ministry would like to take this chance to remind everyone that use of the Killing Curse is strictly prohibited and carries a life sentence in Azkaban."_

_The attack only lasted about twenty minutes, according to Flourish Inkwell, co-owner of _Flourish and Blotts_. "I was down in the storage room when I heard my partner yelling at me," he tells reporters. "By the time I was able to get upstairs, the attack was mostly done with... Some people had come inside the store for protection, and it was just dreadful. I saw one woman who had been half transfigured into a chair. I ask you, who thinks of something like that?"_

_When asked why the Aurors were slow to respond to the attack, the Head Auror had only this to say: "The wards and alarms that we have in place over Diagon Alley were tampered with. Currenty they are being repaired by the best. Needless to say, this will not happen again."_

_For a full list of the deceased, please flip to page three..._

It had happened again.

Harry Potter sank down into his seat at the table and stared at the paper, feeling his stomach churn. Suddenly, the smell of the food Lily was preparing wasn't so good after all. Rita Skeeter's familiar style of writing might have been comforting if it hadn't been for the nature of _what_ she was writing. His throat tightened as he drew the paper towards him and re-read the article. _Another_ attack, and again, the Aurors had been late? It didn't bode well for the future. He didn't expect the ones in this universe to be as war-trained, but surely they could do better than that?

"Harry, put the paper away. It's time for breakfast," Lily said.

"But Mum, there was another attack last night." Lia pulled back from where she had been reading over Harry's shoulder and shook her head slowly. "Over twenty-five witches and wizards dead."

"Merlin." Lily's face grew pale, and the frantic movements of her wand grew still. "What is the world coming to?"

Ignoring them both, Harry flipped to page three and searched for the list of the deceased. He was curious to see if he would recognize any of the names and wondered if someone had been specifically targeted. It wasn't difficult to find, and he scanned it rapidly, pleased that none of the names sounded overly familiar to him – and if the 'dark-robed figures' had been there for someone in particular, he didn't know who. Again, Lia leaned over and glanced at the list. Suddenly, she gasped and grabbed the paper from him, peering at it closely.

"Oh, Mum!" she cried. "Oh, it says Madeline Abbott... That's Hannah's mother."

"No!" Quickly Lily walked over to the table and looked at the paper. Tears filled her eyes when she saw that the name was written about midway down the list. "Madeline was always the sweetest girl," she said, clearly upset. "And Hannah is an absolute angel. The poor girl must be devestated. We'll have to visit tomorrow, Lia."

"You can go today," Harry offered quietly.

"It's your birthday, Harry," Lily reminded him, dusting the tears from her eyes. She picked up the paper and Banished it with a snap of her wand. "The first one we've had the chance to celebrate in years. I'm not going to let it be interrupted. Besides, I'm sure Mr Abbott and Hannah will want a little time to themselves, first, before visitors start coming."

"What are we going to do?" asked Lia curiously.

Lily smiled. "We're going to eat breakfast first," she said. "And then Harry, Remus and Sirius were going to be taking you to Diagon Alley, but I think I'll suggest somewhere else. Lia, I'll need your help around the house getting ready for the party. We have a lot to do. Your father and the twins are off getting Harry a surprise, so it will just be you and me until Arabella and Orion arrive."

Harry's eyebrows rose. "A surprise?" he echoed. "You... you don't have to do so much for me." He felt uncomfortable at the thought of anyone going through so much effort.

"But we want to," Lia said before Lily could. "You're my big brother and I want to help Mum give you an awesome party. Please, Harry?"

"Er..." He blinked at her pleading gaze and looked to his mother for help. She laughed.

"Enough, young lady," Lily said fondly. "Save that expression for your father. Harry, your sister is absolutely right. You deserve a wonderful party and we're going to make sure that you get it. I don't want you to worry about a single thing today, understand?"

That was easier said than done, Harry reflected. Lily had made a spectacular breakfast that included all of his favorite dishes, but he had trouble forcing the food down. He couldn't stop thinking about the attack on Diagon Alley and what it might have meant. With no connection to Voldemort, he hadn't dreamt about a thing, and this time there was no Dumbledore or the Order guiding the fight. For the first time that he could remember, he was operating completely blind. It wasn't the most comforting feeling.

The gong for the Floo boomed through the house, followed by loud voices. Harry glanced up and had to smile as a large black dog bounded into the room and leapt at him, hitting him with enough force to send him toppling off his chair. He groaned and tried to push the dog away as it pinned him down and began slobbering all over him. Clearly, this was Sirius' idea of a greeting on a birthday, and his mother and sister just stood by laughing while he squirmed and protested between licks. By the time Remus came in and had the sympathy to drag Sirius off, Harry was completely slimed.

"Thanks a lot," he grumbled, mopping at his face with a towel Lily had handed him. "I didn't need a second shower, Sirius."

Sirius changed back to his human self, grinning widely. "I could smell your depression all the way upstairs, pup," he replied. "This is your birthday. You have to be_ happy_."

That was news to Harry, who just blinked at him for a minute before he said weakly, "Where are we going today?"

"Ah, I can't tell you that yet, young marauder. It's a surprise," Sirius said, wrapping an arm around his shoulders. "But I can and will promise you that you're going to love it."

Harry was pretty sure that Sirius was right. It wouldn't matter where they were going, as long as he could spend part of the day with his once-deceased godfather and Remus. He took the chance to look the two of them over as Remus spoke in quiet tones to Lily. Sirius looked so much younger than he remembered, and his slate gray eyes were clear of the haunted shadow Harry was so familiar with. As for Remus, the werewolf moved with a quiet strength and grace that were at odds to the one he recalled. There was no gray in the tawny hair, and his face was free of most of the stress lines Harry was accustomed to. This was the Marauders as they should have been, untainted by war and Azkaban.

"Have fun today, Harry," Lily said finally, turning away from Remus to cross the kitchen towards him. She kissed him on the forehead and straightened his glasses a bit. "Make sure you stay with Sirius and Remus, do _not_ get into any fights, and be back here by four, okay?"

"He'll be fine, Lily," Remus told her. "Sirius and I will keep a close eye on him."

"That's what I'm worried about," his mother said wryly.

Sirius just smirked and pulled out his wand. The familiar sensation of side-along apparition took over, and Harry clung to his godfather as he was wrenched and squished and nearly tossed head over heels. He landed hard on the ground when the two of them touched down and remained there, groaning as his stomach threatened to rebel. Remus appeared with a crack! and rolled his eyes when he saw that Harry was sprawled out on the grass.

"Padfoot, you could have been more gentle," he scolded. "You know Harry's not used to it."

"Sorry, Harry. I haven't done side-along in years," Sirius said sheepishly, reaching down to pull Harry to his feet. "You okay?"

"Yeah," Harry mumbled, dusting his shirt off. There was no need to mention that he felt like he was going to vomit all over Sirius' dark blue shirt. He tried to think calming thoughts as he turned around, curious to see where Remus and Sirius had taken him. His green eyes went wide. "Hogsmeade?"

"None other. We wanted to take you to Diagon Alley, but Lily put her wand down after she heard about the attack," said his godfather. "You can get re-acquainted with Hogsmeade before school begins." His gray eyes twinkled mischeviously. "Remus and I can show you all of the ways to sneak into Hogwarts."

Harry grinned. "I bet I already know a few of them."

"And we are supposed to be setting a good example," Remus cut in, shaking his head and smiling. "Honestly, I fear the day that you have children."

"You think _you_ fear the day? Professor McGonagall shivers every time I mention it," Sirius said, grinning wickedly. "One of these days, I'm going to find the right price for Arabella to pretend she's pregnant with my baby. I'm going to give McGonagall a heart attack."

"That's a wonderful way to repay her for putting up with you all those years."

Startled, Harry swung around and faced three people, two witches and a wizard, who had come up behind them without his notice. The wizard, whom Harry didn't recognize, was nearly as short as he was, with dark hair cut in a messy style and pale blue eyes. He moved with an obvious limp. Both of the witches had at least a couple of inches on him. The only one he recognized, Narcissa Malfoy, didn't look much different from how he remembered – she was every inch the Ice Queen, with pale blonde hair and the same pale blue eyes as the wizard. The witch who had spoken had long, curly dark hair and dark brown eyes. She pressed her lips together as she stared at Harry, who shifted uncomfortably at the coldness of her stare and glared back.

"I have to repay her somehow, Bella," said Sirius.

Of course. Bellatrix LeStrange. Harry couldn't believe he hadn't known the hated witch, but then, she looked a lot different when years in Azkaban weren't weighing down on her. Her cheeks were plump and flushed with color, she wore expensive and well cut robes, and the tell-tale glint of madness that had always been present in her eyes was missing. Even her wand, once a dark slash of wood, was now a pale, gleaming shaft. Her voice was different, too: smooth and low with none of the cackling raspiness she had been so given to before. He was surprised Ginny had been able to recognize her.

"Harry, these are my cousins, Bellatrix LeStrange and Narcissa Malfoy. And this," Sirius clapped a hand on the shoulder of the wizard so hard that the man's knees buckled, "is my_ little_ brother, Regulus."

Brother? Harry stared in wonder at Regulus, who offered him a shy smile and a hand to shake. He took it dumbly, surprised that Sirius and Regulus apparently got along in this world. In his world, Sirius had spoken bitterly of his brother, citing his parents' brainwashing as the reason that Regulus had ever joined the Death Eaters, which had ultimately led to his death. It would never cease to amaze him how many things had changed just because Voldemort wasn't around.

"Funny," Regulus muttered, having apparently picked up on the emphasis. "You're a real riot, just like always."

"It's nice to meet you, Mr Potter," Narcissa said. "My son speaks highly of you."

"We're good friends," Harry said after a pause, feeling surreal. This was_ weird_. He looked at Remus, pretending not to notice the hand Bellatrix had extended to him. Her eyes glittered in a familiar way when she retracted the offer and he thought, yes, there she was, the crazed witch he had known. _Some_ things would never change. "Where are we going first?"

"Zonkos, of course," Sirius said before Remus could open his mouth. He wrapped an arm around Harry's shoulders and began guiding the teen down the street. The other four wizards and witches trailed behind them. Narcissa and Bellatrix spoke in low voices too soft for Harry to hear. "Like you have to ask, kiddo? This might be my one chance to load you down with prank items before the term begins. James promised that he would distract Lily when we take you home so that we can smuggle them up to your bedroom."

"Once again, we're supposed to be a good example," Remus muttered, though he couldn't quite stop his lips from twitching into a smile. Lia Potter was known for being quite the little prankster, particularly when her younger siblings got in on the act. He felt sorry for _all _of the Hogwarts teachers, because he had a feeling that it would mean fireworks when all four of the Potter children worked together. Lily's intelligence and James' streak of mischief was a dangerous combination. Suddenly, he found himself wondering if it was too late to get on somewhere else.

"So what is the reason for this little outing?" Bellatrix asked. She caught up to Sirius and Harry and moved a few steps ahead of them so that she could peer into a store window that was filled with elegant dress robes. Harry narrowed his eyes at her and sidled a bit closer to Sirius.

"It's Harry's birthday," Remus replied.

"Happy Birthday, Harry," Regulus said softly.

Harry smiled at the man. "Thanks."

"Okay, kiddo, when you get to Hogwarts, the first thing you have to do is get into Snape's quarters," Sirius said, coming to a halt in front of Zonkos. He actually rubbed his hands together with glee. "I can show you exactly how to get in. We'll turn everything he has bright pink and make it permanent."

"I wouldn't advise you do that. Not unless you want to get caught up in a war between the two of them," Regulus told him, making a face. "I speak from personal experience. It's not a fun place to be."

"Hey, that was only one time! Just for that, you've been chosen as the test subject for today."

"What? Sirius! Let go!" Regulus' protests fell on deaf ears as Sirius manhandled his brother into the store. Remus, looking more than a little amused, beckoned to Harry and followed the bickering siblings. Harry was about to follow them when a throat cleared behind him, and he glanced over his shoulder to see Narcissa.

"I have a question for you, Mr Potter, if you don't mind staying behind a moment," she said. "One I would like to ask outside of the presence of your family."

"Oh, er, sure, go ahead," Harry said, resisting the urge to self-consciously shove his hands into his pockets.

"It's about my son and the woman he is dating. You have met her, I presume."

"Yes, I know her," he said slowly, wondering if this was going to turn into a rant about muggleborns and purebloods. "She's a very nice girl. Draco seems really happy with her."

Narcissa nodded, seemingly distracted by something that was going on behind Harry. He started to turn so that he could see what had caught her interest, but at that instant a jet of what felt like freezing water struck the middle of his back. His body immediately went limp and he collapsed on the ground as every muscle in his body fell limp. Bellatrix stood over him, tucking her wand back into the holster at her side. A cruel smile lit her face as she leaned down and tucked a small item into his unresponsive hand.

"Thought you could destroy our lord, did you?" she whispered into his ear. "It's too bad that your godfathers are so very trusting. Have fun with my lord." She straightened and looked at Narcissa. "Good job, Cissy. Go and fetch those two and tell them the boy's been kidnapped. Don't let on that I was still around."

Harry's green eyes widened, and he tried to force his body to move, to drop the item in his hand and grab his wand instead as Narcissa nodded curtly, stepped around his body, and walked into the store as calmly as though nothing had happened. But his muscles refused to respond, and less than a minute later, he no longer had a choice when the portkey activated and whisked him away.

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Please review!


	13. Chapter 13

**A/N:** Hah, fooled you all with a super quick update! As a note, I got a review that mentioned how I didn't seem to like Ron... that's not true. I do like him. It's just, for the purposes of this story, I couldn't see him being the same person he was in the original story. He's still loyal (just to other things) and courageous and a great strategizer, which is all things you'll hear about in the coming chapters. And as for the whole H/R thing, I just don't see it working without Harry there as a buffer. I know Ron hasn't been mentioned much, but he does play a part later on... so don't worry too much, okay?

**Warning:** this chapter includes some mild torture.

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Pain, darting across his skin and through his muscles and boiling his blood, was what jerked him out of a heavy sleep. There was no in between, just a straight jump from unconsciousness to awareness of a horrible curse that he'd had previous experience with. It was every bit as painful this time around as it had been before, and Harry squeezed his eyes shut, wishing he was still unconscious, as he writhed on the floor, fingers clawing at the ground in hopes of finding some reprieve from the agony. Distantly, he heard himself screaming, and beyond that, the sound of some familiar, insane laughter.

"Poor little Potter cub," Bellatrix cooed, ending the spell with a twist of her wand. "Does that hurt?"

Harry tried to breathe deeply through lungs that didn't want to work properly as his body continued to spasm before finally falling limp. He didn't know how long he had been there, trapped in the small cell – it could have been minutes, hours, or days – but Bellatrix was enjoying every second. She had mercilessly tortured him until he passed out at least half a dozen times already, mostly with the use of the Cruciatus curse, but occasionally, she got inventive. His right arm was broken, and his whole body was covered with dark bruises and about two dozen small but deep knife wounds.

"Stupid... bitch..." he rasped out finally, cursing himself for ever turning his back on her. Like an idiot, he had assumed that he was safe as long as Remus and Sirius were around, even though he had been taught - and should have known - better.

"Is that the best you've got?" she asked, looking delighted. "Don't tell me I've broken you already."

"It... would... take a lot more... than anything... you've got," he retorted.

Bellatrix's eyes flashed and she smirked. "I think I'll take that bet." She lifted her wand and made a simple slashing movement. Harry cried out as a cut formed on his shoulder, exactly where she'd hit him before during the Diagon Alley fight. "You're so fun to play with. I almost hate the thought of taking you to my lord. I really can't understand how a little boy like you is really such a big concern." Twice, her wand twitched, this time opening up slashes across his lower belly and upper thighs. "He should leave you to me. This is nothing, little Potter. I could have you screaming for _real_ in no time. Doesn't that sound like fun?"

"Go to hell," Harry whispered, wincing when his throat, which ached from hours of screaming, protested the words.

"I should say that's where you're headed," she said. "Get up. It's time for your meeting with my lord."

At first, Harry refused to move, just because he couldn't. The simple act of gathering enough energy to actually get off the floor of the cell seemed to be too much to ask of his exhausted body, and his muscles just trembled weakly when he attempted to follow her order. But Bellatrix wielded her wand threateningly and opened up another few cuts in his back before she threatened to cast the Cruciatus curse again. _That_ got him going, sore muscles or no. After a couple of attempts, he managed to roll over, where he somehow found the strength to slowly push himself to his feet. Harry grimaced as the movement re-opened a few of the older cuts on his chest and arms that had clotted. Blood seeped down his chest and back, staining what remained of the shirt he was wearing, and he winced. If he lost too much blood, he wouldn't even get a chance to escape.

"Come on, boy, get a move on," Bellatrix ordered. Her mouth contorted in a cruel smile. "Unless you'd like me to give you some extra persuasion."

Harry ignored her and walked past as stoically as he could. He hated to show pain to someone like Bellatrix, because the evil witch got off on it. Even now, she practically purred in delight when she caught sight of the blood that had soaked into his shirt. She stayed right on his heels as he walked down the hall, and every once in a while her wand would give him a sharp jab in the back, usually right over one of the cuts. It was hard to bite back his yelps when every jab brought forth a fresh burst of white-hot pain.

"In there, Potter." She pointed to the door at the end of the hall and used her wand as an extra 'incentive'. Harry stumbled forward into the room and fell to his knees. He heard Bellatrix laughing as she slammed the door behind him and cast several complex locking charms. There was no way he'd be getting free through that door, especially without a wand.

"Good evening, Mr Potter," a smooth, familiar voice said.

"Riddle," Harry spat, rising to his feet immediately, even though it caused more than just a twinge of pain to do so. He glared at the man seated comfortably in front of the fire. Tom Riddle, wearing nothing more than a dressing robe, was relaxing in a huge, plush chair and had his feet up on an ottoman. A small green snake was coiled in his lap. His left hand gently stroked the snake, and he held a wine glass of thick, red liquid in his right.

"Such a lack of manners." Tom clicked his tongue and shook his head. "Please, do have a seat. We have much to discuss."

Actually sitting down with the evil man was the last thing Harry wanted to do, but his bruised and cut legs were beginning to tremble and he knew it wouldn't be long before they gave out on him. Reluctantly, he crossed the room and sat down on the bright red chair across from Riddle. On the table in front of him, there was a tall glass of what appeared to be water, and beside it, two different vials of potions. One was a light blue, the other a dark violet. He didn't recognize either one.

"Have a drink."

"Not on your life," Harry said, glaring at the man. "I'm not that stupid."

Tom smirked. "I assure you that the water is not poisoned and that the potions would make you feel better... The blue one is a healing potion, and the purple one is pain relief. I do so like my opponents to offer me a challenge before I kill them. But if you wish to suffer, that is your own choice."

"Yeah right. As though I would trust anything you said." He hadn't been a fantastic potions student, but there were some potions like veritaserum which he could never forget – and it just so happened that veritaserum was colorless and odorless, making it easy to slip into something like a glass of water. No matter how dry his throat was, he wouldn't have sipped from that glass for anything.

"I have given you no reason not to," said Tom, his blue eyes wide with innocence.

"Why am I here?" he asked warily, choosing not to respond to that remark.

"I'm going to kill you, of course," Tom said, smiling faintly. "That was the thing I was warned about the most, after all. That there was a prophecy and you would be my downfall." He paused, studying the boy across from him. "Of course, I hardly see how a child like you could ever be a challenge for someone like me, but if killing you means that nothing can stand in my way, then it's hardly a trial for me to do so. I'll even let you choose the way you'd like to die."

"Wait... you were warned? By who?" Harry leaned forward as much as he could before his back muscles seized up.

"I suppose you're very curious about why the world has changed so much. Since you're going to die, it doesn't really matter if you know. It's not as though you can do anything about it." He took a long sip from the wine glass and swirled the liquid around inside before he spoke again. "Have you ever heard of a Horcrux, Potter?"

"No."

Tom nodded. "I didn't think so. It's not exactly on the light curriculum. It took a great deal of research and many hours of torturing before I had gathered the information I required, back when I was a boy your age. To put it simply in terms you'll understand, a Horcrux is created when you split off a piece of your soul and seal it into another object. It's a way of living forever. A way to cheat death. You can't die as long as you have a Horcrux in this world, tying you here."

Harry's green eyes widened, and he felt sick. Was this why Voldemort had returned so often? "You..."

"Relax. That was my original plan,_ before_ my older self showed up in my bedroom," Tom told him, seemingly amused by Harry's reaction. "It seems that he had gotten a hold of some _aetas arenae_ and decided to make a few changes. Apparently, he came from a time when a teenager was making his life a living hell and thwarting all of his attempts for world domination." He shot a disdainful look at Harry. "You can only imagine my surprise when I was told that some child was going to be my downfall. My initial instinct was to believe that he was an imposter, but much of what he said... Well, let's just say he convinced me that he was speaking the truth. We exchanged some very relevant information before the effects of time travel caught up with him and he disintegrated right in front of me." Tom sighed. "Apparently not even the great Lord Voldemort is impervious to the damage excessive time travel can do, even without the use of a Time Turner."

So Hermione and Draco had been right after all. The two of them really did make an excellent research team. Harry mentally filed that information away, knowing that it would be important when he got back to Dumbledore, and said, "So you changed your plans. You didn't make any Horcruxes after all."

Tom gave him a slow smile. "Let's not go that far, my boy. It's none of your business whether I created Horcruxes or not. Most of what Voldemort told me was in reference to you, a prophecy, and your parents, as well as the half life that awaited me if I continued along my path. He cautioned me against openly attacking the wizarding world and urged me to make my rise behind the scenes, so that when I made my move, I would be able to overwhelm the world and end the fight before it really began. That is why I have spent so much of my time rising through Ministry politics and becoming a teacher at Hogwarts." He chuckled. "That fool, Dumbledore... He never trusted me once while I was in school, yet he made the mistake of giving me a position there. I suppose he felt it better to keep an eye on me, not that it will do him any good."

"Dumbledore was right not to trust you," Harry snapped, anger flashing through him when Tom openly mocked his mentor. "You might think that he has no idea of where you're up to, but you've _never _been able to pull the wool over his eyes, and I doubt that's going to start any time soon."

"If you could see the plans I've already put into effect, you wouldn't be saying that, boy. Not that you'll be around to see most of it happen, since you'll be dead by then." From within the sleeve of his robe, Tom drew forth a long, slender wand. It was the same yew wand that Lord Voldemort had wielded. Harry felt a chill run down his spine when he saw it, and he missed his beloved holly and phoenix feather wand more than ever. His mind spun, trying to think of a way to divert the man.

"Why do I even remember?" he blurted out, finally getting to what had been bothering him all along. If this was true, and it actually sounded like it might be, then there was no reason that he should recall the real world. It didn't even exist anymore. He looked into Tom's blue eyes and kept his mind blank, deliberately _not_ thinking about Ginny. If Tom didn't know about her, he couldn't kill her.

"You weren't supposed to. That is all the fault of my foolish older self," Tom hissed, his eyes flashing crimson. "Instead of attacking your family that Halloween night, I cast a trip jinx that would put you out of my way for good in such a way that no one would have cause to suspect me. Much to my disgust, it turned out that you had survived, and that the old fool was going to use the _Imago Universitas_ spell on you." His fingers clenched around the wine glass and he hissed, much like a snake would. "You and Voldemort shared a connection, boy. He had touched you with a part of his soul. I was unaware of this. When he died, I knew of a spell that would absorb what remained of his soul. Everything he had done... everything _I_ would have done... I remembered it all. Only then did I learn aboutt he connection, but it was too late. My soul and his had already blended together, and enabled me to create a Horcrux without losing any fundamental part of me."

"That's..." Harry just stared at him. He wasn't sure what was more chilling, that Tom had actually absorbed Lord Voldemort's soul, or the fact that the man had a Horcrux after all. "Does that mean... I have a connection to _you _now?" The fear and disgust in his voice was obvious.

"A meagre one." Tom waved his hand as though it was of no importance. "After all, I wasn't the one who tried to kill you that night. However, that connection is what enabled you to remember everything even when everyone else forgot." A frown touched his handsome face. "If I had never absorbed Voldemort's soul, he would have disappeared, and you would have forgotten it all as well... I could have arranged for you to die in a battle. But I knew that would not work when you fought back in Diagon Alley. Foolish Gryfinndors, always having to go down fighting." He shooed the snake off of his lap and stood up, walking over to the fireplace. With a flick of his wand, he summoned more wine to his glass.

Harry sat behind him, stunned and trying to understand everything that had just been dumped onto him. The fact that he had a connection to Voldemort was nothing new; his fifth year had given him ample demonstrations of that. But if that connection was really the reason he remembered everything, that meant Ginny must have had one, too, and no one had even realized it. He supposed that on some level, it made sense. Tom Riddle had been a part of Voldemort's soul, and he'd fed off Ginny's life force in the Chamber. When her life force was returned, it must have still held some taint of Voldemort... He shuddered at the thought. Knowing that _he_ had a connection to Voldemort was disturbing enough, but strong, beautiful Ginny? That was a new level of creepy.

But... thank god that Ginny _had_ known and remembered. As much as he hated to know that she had been touched by Voldemort's soul, that connection had actually turned out to be a blessing in disguise. Harry would have completely disregarded the other world at first if it hadn't been for Ginny, who had been the one to insist that something wasn't right. Tom would have had a much easier time killing him if he hadn't been so prepared, and then his plans would have succeeded. Harry made a mental note to kiss Ginny senseless in thanks if... _when_ he found a way back to her.

And at least Riddle didn't seem to be aware of the connection. Even though he had absorbed Voldemort's soul, he hadn't mentioned the diary or Ginny at all. Perhaps he didn't know about the connection, which would give Harry a leg up on him. A large part of Tom's plan seemed to revolve around the light side not being prepared for him to attack. He eyed the man, knowing that Ginny would have already been a target if Tom knew about it. And not to mention, he didn't know about Draco or Hermione, either. Harry crossed his fingers, hoping that his friends would have the sense to go to Dumbledore and get help. In the meantime, he would have to be extremely careful not to let on that there were other people capable of creating distrust against Tom Riddle.

"I don't understand," he said finally, as though the thought had just occured to him. "If you want to kill me so much, why didn't you just do it at Hogwarts? I was unconscious there for over ten years and as a professor, you had every access. It would have been easy."

"You were more protected at Hogwarts when you were unconscious than you were awake," Tom said in a bored voice. "Under the eye of Dumbledore and your parents and that nurse... you were never alone. I could have easily gotten them out of the way, of course, but I was unprepared for the battle that might arise with Dumbledore. I knew that I would be his first suspect. No, it was safer to bide my time. Even when I realized that you remembered the way everything had been, I didn't bother to strike. I knew it would be easy to kidnap you and make your death slow." He scoffed. "You Gryffindors are always entirely too trusting."

"If we're really so trusting, than you wouldn't be so afraid of Dumbledore," Harry said with a smirk.

"I fear _no one_!" Tom hissed, turning away from the fireplace and brandishing his wand. His blue eyes had gone entirely crimson with rage. "You grow too comfortable for your own good, boy."

Harry gazed at the wand for a minute before he raised his eyes to meet Tom's. If Tom Riddle had one weakness, it was how easy it was to infuriate the man and make him loose control. This would hurt, but at least his friends and family would be far away from Riddle's mind. "What was that about wanting opponents who could face you?" he asked with a cocky smirk. "At least in the graveyard, Voldemort had the guts to give me back my wand and allow me to face him in a real duel. You keep saying that _he_ was the foolish one, but as far as I can see, _you're_ the one who is a coward."

Crimson eyes glowed with fury, and then Riddle's wand was moving in a pattern that was starting to be familiar. Harry closed his eyes failed to hold back his scream of pain as the curse struck him again. Bellatrix might have been good at it, but Tom Riddle was a master. He fell sideways out of the chair as the curse was lifted, gasping for breath. His body trembled with exhertion. The dark wizard hovered over him, giving him a kick in the ribs that forced his body to roll over.

"I will kill you slowly and painfully, Potter," Tom Riddle said, smiling broadly. "And no one can help you now."

"Fuck... you..." Harry whispered, feeling his body going limp. His vision darkened as Riddle kicked him again and then turned away, no doubt summoning someone – probably Bellatrix – to return Harry to his cell. He reluctantly allowed sleep to overcome him, all the while hoping desperately that Ginny had gotten help.

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Please review!


	14. Chapter 14

**A/N:** I'm pleased that everyone is enjoying the story, and a little flattered by some of the comments you guys are leaving me! I just want to warn everyone that I'm doing Camp NaNoWriMo right now. Long story short, you write 50,000 words on an original story in one month. So updates might be a bit slower during August because I'll be focusing more on that, but I'm going to try to keep working on my fanfiction as well.

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The Potter household had been in chaos for the past two days. It was in the early morning hours of August 2nd, and Harry Potter had not been seen nor heard from since the afternoon of July 31st. After Remus and Sirius sounded the alarm, Lily Potter had been largly inconsolable, in spite of Arabella's and Orion's best efforts. James Potter had flown into a fit of rage and gotten into a fight with Sirius before Remus had managed to intervene. Anna and Jon had been taken to their grandparents house, but Lia flat out refused to leave, and no one had the energy to fight with her. Several Aurors had swarmed over the crime scene, but beyond the fact that Harry had been taken by a portkey, none of them could find any clues. Narcissa Malfoy's story was that she had seen a dark-robed figure attack Harry and then the two of them had disappeared before Narcissa could successfully intervene.

It was a load of bull, as far as Ginevra Weasley was concerned. She sat on the second stair of the staircase in the main hall and watched as Lucius and Narcissa offered their condolences to Lily and James in easy reach of the cameras and reporters that were waiting just outside the windows. No matter how many times Narcissa regretfully expressed her apologies in not being able to save Harry before he was kidnapped, Ginny wasn't buying it. The Draco Malfoy of this world was alright, but the Malfoy parents were still snakes. Peter Pettigrew, the biggest rat of them all, was right behind the two Malfoys, dumping false platitudes on Lily and James.

"Lying, conniving bitch," Ginny muttered, shaking her head as she watched the two of them exit the home into a flurry of flashing lights. They were probably loving the media attention. Pettigrew, on the other hand, shrank back from the cameras and threw an arm over his face. The idea of casting a face-concealing charm didn't seem to occur to him.

"You don't think she's telling the truth?" Lia asked tiredly. She was sitting just above Ginny on the fifth stair. Her jeans and tank top were wrinkled and her auburn hair was mussed, falling out of the sloppy ponytail she'd bound it into. Her face was bare of the small amount of make-up she usually wore, making her look even more pale and exhausted. "My mom and dad are good friends with the Malfoys. Why would she lie?"

"Because she can, and the world would probably combust the day that Narcissa Malfoy ever actually tried to help a Gryffindor," Ginny said flatly, not wanting to get into Voldemort and Death Eaters with her. She stood up and dusted off the jean skirt she was wearing. "Do you happen to know if Dumbledore is going to be coming around today? I _really_ need to speak with him."

Lia just shrugged listlessly and Ginny sighed. Her efforts to speak with Dumbledore during the past two days had all been denied; Molly Weasley kept telling her that Albus Dumbledore had more important things to be concerned with at the moment. The letter she'd sent with Evangeline, which had briefly explained that Ginny had vital information connected to Harry's disappearence, had returned with no reply and no sign of the headmaster. She suspected that someone like McGonagall was collecting Dumbledore's mail and storing it while he worked on finding Harry. No doubt they'd dismissed her letter as something that could wait.

The problem was, it really couldn't. If Tom Riddle was anything like Lord Voldemort, Harry was probably in a hell of a lot of pain from being tortured. He likely wasn't dead – Riddle would have made sure that everyone knew about it if he was – but there was a lot that could be done to a person that didn't result in death. Ginny shivered at the thought. Trusting someone else with the information was the obvious conclusion, but who? She had already tried to get Sirius and Remus to pay attention, but they disregarded her when something that was seemingly more interesting came alone. Lily and James were too upset. No one wanted to listen to her, and it was driving her crazy. They were all under the assumption that she was only around because she was concerned about Harry (partially true) and that she couldn't possibly have anything of importance to say.

"I almost wish that the Order of the Phoenix was back," she muttered, putting her hands on her hips and watching as the fireplace flared green for about the hundredth time that morning. Except this time, she was actually relieved to see the people who stepped out. Draco Malfoy came through first, followed by Hermione Granger. A woman Ginny didn't recognize approached them at once and began scolding them for entering the house without permission. When she ordered them to turn around and go back through, Ginny jumped down the rest of the stairs and went over.

"They're with me, and I'm allowed to be here," she said sharply, her pale brown eyes just _daring_ the woman to start a fight over it. "You can ask Mr or Mrs Potter, but I hardly think you want to bother them over such trivial matters at a time like this."

The woman looked surprised, but she must have recognized the truth in Ginny's words because she frowned deeply. "Very well, but make sure you don't get in the way of any of the other Aurors."

"Why? It's not like they're _doing_ anything," Ginny mumbled, tossing her hair over her shoulder as the woman walked back to the group she'd been speaking with.

"No luck yet?" Hermione asked sympathetically, clutching a couple of books to her chest.

"I hate this world!" Ginny stated with exasperation, turning to face her two friends. Both of them looked impeccably dressed, and she was suddenly aware of just how bad _she_ probably looked. Maybe there had been a reason Ron was trying to drag her home earlier after all. "These Aurors are totally incompetent!"

"They're doing the best they can. They've never faced a situation like this before," said Draco. "And if the person who kidnapped Harry is who you say he is, then even the Aurors with the best experience would be at a loss. It's not really their fault."

"Whose side are you _on_?" she asked, shooting him an annoyed look.

Before Draco could respond, the flames flashed green again, and the three of them stepped aside to allow Albus Dumbledore to come through. Nearly everyone in the room fell silent when they became aware of his imposing presence. Right behind him was Minerva McGonagall and Severus Snape, who both wore identical grim expressions. Dumbledore nodded to the room at large and set off for the kitchen, where most of the action was going on. Ginny ran after him with Draco, Hermione and Lia hot on her heels. She'd be damned if she was going to let this opportunity slip away from her.

"Oh, Albus, thank goodness you're here," Lily said, rising from the kitchen table when she saw the headmaster step into the room. Her face was tight with anxiety. "Have you heard anything?"

Dumbledore sighed. "I'm afraid not, Lily. I have my best sources out there searching, but so far nothing has come back."

Lily's face fell and she put a hand to her lips. James stood up and wrapped his arms around his wife in an effort to comfort her. "We have to find him, Albus," he said, his voice shaking slightly. "We've only just gotten him back."

"I know where he is."

Those five simple words had a dramatic effect as every eye in the kitchen turned to stare at the petite girl standing in the doorway. Ginny had her hands clenched into tight fists as she stared at Dumbledore, willing him to listen. He looked at her, his intent gaze assessing her for but a minute before he went into action, clearing the room of all but the most important people. By the time he was done, only Dumbledore himself, Lily, James, Remus, Sirius, Orion, Arabella, McGonagall, Snape, Ginny, Hermione, Draco, Lia, and a couple of Aurors that Ginny didn't recognize were left. She pointed to them.

"You two, get out."

"This is a Ministry investiation, young lady. You have no right to try and make us leave," said the wizard.

"And I don't trust the Ministry, so I'm not talking until you're gone," Ginny said. She cast them a cold look. "If there have to be Aurors here, I want Professor Dumbledore to choose them."

"You may leave," Dumbledore said, watching Ginny carefully. "I believe I saw Tonks and Shacklebolt out in the hall. Please direct them to enter."

Ginny relaxed at the mention of the familiar names and unfisted her hands. She and her three friends walked over to the table and sat down. Lily enlarged the table with a flick of her wand, and Remus created more chairs so that everyone would have a place to sit. Nymphadora Tonks came in, wearing a puzzled expression, and was followed by Kingsley Shacklebolt. The two of them took the last seats at before everyone looked at Ginny expectantly.

"Go ahead, Miss Weasley," said Dumbledore, leaning forward with an intent expression.

"You might find this hard to believe, but the world that Harry spoke of – the one that he dreamed about – actually happened," Ginny said simply. "I know this because I remember everything about that world, too." She held up a hand when Arabella went to speak. "Please, just... listen to me, okay? There was a dark lord who was trying to take over that world. He called himself Lord Voldemort, but he was actually once a man by the name of Tom Riddle." She watched Dumbledore's face closely as she spoke the name and saw the slight widening of his eyes. "Voldemort was... horrible. He recruited dark wizards to his side and named them Death Eaters. He actively encouraged them to kill wizards and muggles alike. His goal was to create a world where only the purest of blood survived."

"This sounds like something out of a horror story," said Lily, looking confused. "Ginny, that other world was just a dream, created by a spell. Maybe Harry told you what happened and you just think you remember thing, but we haven't got time for this. I really don't see how this will help us find Harry."

"You have to listen to me! It wasn't a dream! It's what was _supposed _to happen, but Voldemort went back in time and changed things," Ginny said. She'd never get over how absolutely no one in the room reacted to the mention of Voldemort's name. "Voldemort created a future where you two were still alive and Harry wasn't the Boy-Who-Lived. But Tom Riddle still knows about it. That's where Harry is now. I've been trying to tell you that for hours, but no one would listen to me. Tom Riddle kidnapped him."

Low murmurs broke out at the table. Dumbledore raised a hand to make them fall silent and looked at Ginny. "These are serious accusations that you're making, Miss Weasley. Have you any proof that Tom Riddle is who you say he is?"

Ginny bit her lip. "I have no memories from this world, because I don't remember anything from before Harry woke up," she admitted. "But if you give me a pensieve, I'll prove to you that the other world was real. You know that when memories are placed in a pensieve, it's easy to see if they've been tampered with. If I can show you that, will you believe me?"

"We have a pensieve here," said James without waiting for Dumbledore to respond. He released Lily and got up, heading towards the door.

"So you're saying that the world Harry dreamed of actually happened?" Sirius asked, raising his eyebrows. "And that you remember it too? That sounds a little far-fetched."

"You can say that, but it's the truth," Ginny said firmly. "Harry and Voldemort had a connection of sorts. I think that's probably why he still remembers. I don't really know why I remember, but I do. Tom Riddle is every bit as evil here as he was in our world. He can't be trusted. And what's more, I bet Narcissa Malfoy and that stupid bitch Bellatrix LeStrange were behind Harry's kidnapping."

Draco sat up straight. "What makes you say that?"

"The Malfoy family were some of Voldemort's strongest supporters, and Bellatrix_ adored_ Voldemort." Rage mingled with disgust flashed over Ginny's face, and she fingered her wand, seething. "I bet she's exactly the same way here. In our world, she killed you, Sirius."

Sirius' face went pale. "I remember... when Harry woke up, he was shouting my name for that reason. You said it was Bella? Are you sure?"

"Very sure." She'd never forget the look of pain on Harry's face. The memory made her shiver. "You shouldn't trust her, Sirius. The only person she has ever been loyal to is Voldemort."

James entered at that moment, using his wand to levitate a large and ornate pensieve in front of him. He set it down on the table, causing the silvery liquid inside to slosh around dangerously. "Here you go. There's nothing inside, so it's ready to go."

Dumbledore stood and came to Ginny's side, holding his wand. "This shouldn't hurt, Miss Weasley. Close your eyes and think of the memories that you want to show up, and I'll draw them out with my wand."

Immediately, Ginny thought of learning about the Boy-Who-Lived when she was a child, everything about the Chamber of Secrets, the disastrous night of the Quidditch Cup when the Death Eaters had attacked, the fight at the Department of Mysteries, Harry telling her about Pettigrew, Sirius, and Remus, as well as the end of the Triwizard Tournament, when Harry had returned with Cedric's lifeless body. She opened her eyes to see that Dumbledore's wand held several strands of glowing white strands at the end. He carefully lowered the strands into the pensieve and then leaned over it. One by one, everyone in the room fell into the memories, until only Ginny, who had no interest in seeing them again, remained sitting at the table.

She sat there by herself for about an hour, her gaze locked on the pensieve. After a while, the liquid began to churn, and people began to emerge. The identical expressions of horror and shock on every single face almost made her feel happy. At least now, no one could say that she hadn't been telling them the truth, and they would be able to save Harry. Satisfied, she stood up and pulled out her wand. Everyone watched silently as she walked over to the pensieve, placed her wand into the liquid, and retrieved her memories. The slight ache in her head stopped as soon as they had been returned.

"So now you now," she said quietly, lifting her gaze from the pensieve. "What Tom Riddle is really capable of."

"Merlin... My poor baby..." Tears streamed down Lily's cheeks, and she collapsed weakly against James. James' hands trembled as he embraced his wife. "I can't believe... he's gone through so much. He told me once that he grew up with Petunia and her dreadful husband. I always wondered why."

"Now you know. I was only there for a little bit. There's a lot more, I just can't show it to you," Ginny told her. She could tell that the memories had really upset the woman, but it had to be done. "But you believe me now, right?"

"The problem, Miss Weasley, is that we still have no proof," Dumbledore said wearily. "I have long since questioned Tom Riddle and his true goals, but no one else has shared my suspicions. If we go after him now without cause... He will have the power of the Ministry behind him, and in spite of your disdain for them, they are a formidable force. Furthermore, we have no idea where he might be holding Harry. We don't want to give him warning, or he might do something drastic."

"So you're just going to do nothing?" Ginny cried.

"Personally, I'm still not a hundred percent sure about this," said Orion. "I'll admit that the memories looked real, but..." She shook her head. "How could anyone travel so far back in time that they could change the future so dramatically?"

"I can answer that," Hermione said. She began explaining her theory while Dumbledore, the two profressors, Tonks and Shacklebolt listened closely.

"Don't worry, Ginny," a quiet voice said. A warm hand on her shoulder turned her enough so that she could be pulled into a tight hug. "We have a plan, okay?"

Ginny clutched at Sirius' shirt and tried to blink back tears. But she couldn't stop a few from slipping out. "What will you do?"

Remus, Sirius, and James exchanged looks. Lily was trying to listen to Draco and Hermione while she fought back tears. "Whatever necessary," said James at last. "I won't leave my son with that bastard. Whatever it takes to get him out, we'll do it." He patted her head. "Thank you for having the courage to tell us the truth. I know that must have been hard."

"You can't die," Ginny said, looking up at him. "Harry would never forgive himself."

James nodded. "Don't worry about that. We're all going to come through this alive, I promise you that."

"Okay," she said in a small voice. She had done everything she could by alerting people about Harry and Tom Riddle. It was up to the Marauders to save him now.

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Please review!


	15. Chapter 15

**A/N:** I'll probably be updating once a week, on Friday/Saturday nights, from now on. Thank you for the reviews!

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Harry was dozing, half asleep and half unconscious, when he heard the footsteps outside of his cell door and the familiar laughter that he was starting to get _really_ tired of. The cell door swung open, and shadows fell over his body. He tried to remain still and relaxed, hoping that if Bellatrix thought he was still passed out from their last torture session, she might leave him alone. No such luck. A booted toe caught him in the upper ribs and he couldn't quite keep back his choked, hollow cry of pain. Cupping his stomach protectively, he rolled onto his side and huddled into a ball, hoping to protect his aching ribs from any more blows.

"I knew you weren't sleeping," said Bellatrix scornfully. Harry didn't have to look at her to know that was holding her wand. "Thought you could lie to me, eh?"

"Hey, Bella, you brought me here so I could have a try," protested a second voice. "If you start, he'll be incoherent in no time. At least let me get a shot in."

"This one's different. Lasts longer. But alright, Reggie, you've proven your loyalty to our Lord... so I'll let you give it a try. Hear that, boy?" That boot nudged him again, this time in the back. "Your precious godfather's little brother is here to have some fun with you. I suggest you wake up and look attentive."

Emerald green eyes cracked open slightly, and Harry tilted his head so that he could look up at the two of them. His glasses were missing, but his eyesight didn't seem to be quite as bad in this world (no doubt regular, healthy meals during childhood could do that) and he could still make out a short man with dark hair standing over him, holding what was unmistakably a wand. Was it really Regulus? He'd never considered that maybe Regulus might have been a part of the kidnapping. How awful. Sirius would be devastated. He switched his glare to Bellatrix, who _was_ holding out her wand, and scowled as he fought to speak.

"Bitch," he croaked out at last. He cried out in the next breath.

"See? Different, I told you," Bellatrix said casually, like she hadn't just kicked the teenager in the ribs with all of her stength. "Much harder to break. I've been having so much _fun _with him."

"I'll remember that, Bella. I certainly hope it was worth it, because you can be sure that the Marauders will pay you back in full for every wound they find on this child. _Stupefy_!"

Bellatrix's body collapsed on the ground, landing half on top of Harry. He groaned with pain and watched with a dazed expression as the man who had been standing over him swore under his breath and yanked her body off, then grabbed her wand. He snapped it cleanly in half and tucked the two halves into his pocket before he leaned over Harry and gently shook the boy's shoulder. "Hey, kid, can you hear me? You still with me?"

"Who... are you?"

"I really am Regulus Black. Sirius, your godfather, is my brother," said Regulus. "We met the other day, remember? Here, drink this." He knelt and pulled Harry's upper body into his arms, supporting the teen against his chest. With one hand, he placed a vial against Harry's lips. Harry tried to fight, but his limbs were sluggish and slow to respond to his commands. Regulus dodged the weak blow and easily pried his mouth open so that he could tip the contents of the vial down his throat. The taste was absolutely vile, and Harry gagged, coughing harshly. His whole body trembled and Regulus gently patted him on the back, trying to soothe him. "Shh, it's okay. It was just a numbing potion that Severus gave me. I had to give it to you so that I could get you out of here. I'm sorry, I can't do anything about your injuries until we're out of here."

Blessed coolness was settling over his bones and muscles, chasing away the pain that had been tormenting him for days. "Why?" Harry whispered, relishing the feeling of being able to swallow and speak without wanting to cry.

"Your little girlfriend got the word out to Dumbledore and the Marauders about where you'd be. The next thing I know, my brother blasted my front door to pieces and demanded to know if I knew anything about your kidnapping. I'd had my suspicions since you disappeared, but I didn't know anything concrete. I knew Sirius would never be able to get in here, since Riddle is paranoid enough to do checks for Polyjuice and glamors before anyone is allowed in. Fortunately, Bellatrix has never been the brightest star in the box. She'll swallow anything as long as she thinks you're loyal to her lord."

A wave of relief went through Harry. Ginny had been able to get help after all. He made a mental note to shower her with love and said hoarsely, "Want... Sirius..."

"I know. Hang on, I have to cast a couple of spells." Regulus held his wand over Harry's body and muttered a few complex charms. Then he cradled Harry's body close to his chest and stood up. "We'll have to get out of here quickly. No telling how soon it might be before someone sounds the alarm."

"Ministry?"

"Dumbledore didn't want to risk alerting them because Riddle has so many friends," answered Regulus quietly, glancing around the hall. "I'm here in an unofficial capacity... meaning that if I wasn't, your idiot of a godfather would have come in like a Gryffindor and gotten himself killed in the process. Now, shh. You need to be quiet so that you don't attract anyone's attention, okay?"

That was easy enough. Harry closed his eyes and tried to concentrate on breathing slowly and deeply so that nothing jarred his broken ribs any more than was necessary. Regulus crept down the halls of the mansion, performing quick checks around each corner before he continued on. There didn't seem to be many wizards or witches around, but that fit with what Harry had learned about the mansion during his stay. The only people he'd seen were Bellatrix and Tom Riddle (and once, Peter Pettigrew before the rat sidled out of sight around the corner) and he had no way of knowing how many people Riddle might have gotten on his side. He hoped that there weren't many.

"Shit," Regulus hissed suddenly, freezing. A low, far-off sound was resonating through the upper levels of the mansion. "Someone must have found Bellatrix and sounded the alarm. Sorry for this, kid." He switched to carrying Harry over his shoulder and ran for it. Harry tried to keep from crying out in pain, knowing how important it was, and ended up stuffing the hand that wasn't clinging to Regulus into his mouth so that he literally couldn't. The numbing potion, as it turned out, could only do so much.

The two of them burst into a rather dull looking room that had dust everywhere. Regulus raced over to the fireplace and swiftly cast a spell with his wand, causing a fire to appear. He reached into his pocket with his free hand and drew out a handful of glittery dust. "This location has been temporarily connected to the Floo Network," he explained in a rush. "You go and I'll be right behind you."

"Are you so sure about that, Black?"

Tom Riddle's voice was smooth and soft. He stood in the doorway of the room, wand in hand. "Did you believe I would be so foolish as to not know when someone was connecting the Floo to my home? Really."

"I had hoped," Regulus said. "_Protego_!" A shield formed in front of the two just as Tom was lifting his wand. Regulus threw the handful of powder into the fire and shouted, "Hogwarts Headmasters Office!" The fire flared green and he pulled Harry off of his shoulder and shoved him into it.

"Wait!" Harry tried to fight it, wanting to help Regulus, but the Floo Network picked him up and flung him away. The last thing he saw was a green spell tearing through Regulus' shield and striking the man in the back. Then he was watching fireplaces and the dizzying shapes of other people flashing by. His head began to throb with pain, and by the time he was thrust out of the fireplace and onto the floor of Professor Dumbledore's office, he was unconscious.

**HGHGHGHG**

"You're sure he's going to be alright?"

"Please, Sirius. Back away from the bed, would you? I can't do my work if you're hovering. Could one of you talk some sense into him while I get the next dose of potions?"

"Padfoot, _sit down_."

"But he's my godson!"

"And he's James and Lily's son, but you don't see them trying to shove Poppy out of the way, do you?_ Sit_."

Harry had processed the conversation enough by the time he opened his eyes to realize that he had, somehow, made it to safety. His mind felt foggy and blank, and trying to recall much of anything was like swimming through thick sludge, but he knew that much. Carefully, mindful of the way his neck had throbbed after that last bout with Bellatrix, he turned his head to the side and saw that Lily, James, Sirius and Remus were seated around his bed in the Hospital Wing. Madame Pomfrey was bustling back to the bed carrying a tray covered with several potions. A wave of relief went through him when he realized that Bellatrix and Tom Riddle were no where in sight. This was all so... so _normal_.

Sirius, who was pouting after having been yanked into his seat by Remus, looked up at that moment and saw that he was awake. "Harry!" he cried, leaping to his feet.

"_Sirius_!" Madame Pomfrey fairly shouted, and Remus hastily pulled him back down. "Good to see you're back with us, Mr Potter. You gave your family and friends quite a fright," the matronly woman said, her fierce glare just _daring_ Sirius to maul her patient before she'd had the chance to look him over. She placed the tray on a nearby stand and took out her wand. "Do hold still, now. This won't take long..."

A cold feeling slid over Harry's body and he shivered as a piece of parchment popped into existence in front of Pomfrey. She scanned it swiftly, making thoughtful sounds. Remus stood up and peered over her shoulder, frowning. After a moment, Pomfrey destroyed the paper with a wave of her wand and started handing potions to Harry, who swallowed them obediently. The fact that he was no longer in horrible pain hadn't gone unnoticed, and he would've gladly done anything for the nurse that she wanted.

"You're doing much better. I've managed to heal most of the physical damage, although your muscles are still weak from excessive use of the Cruciatus curse," she said. "You'll be taking nerve repair potions for at least a week."

"Swell," Harry mumbled, downing the last one and cringing when the dreadful taste lingered in the back of his throat. He didn't have much time to ponder it, though, because the second Pomfrey took the empty vial from his hand, he suddenly found himself buried in four sets of arms that held onto him so tightly that it hurt. Holding back tears, he clutched at his father and Sirius, who were the closest.

"Oh, Harry, thank Merlin you're alright," Lily whispered, her face streaked with tears. She was stroking his hair, her hands gliding through the curls in a loving motion. "I was so worried..."

"We all were," said Remus, taking a seat on the end of the bed. He placed one hand on Harry's ankle, as though to reassure himself that the boy was really there.

"I'm sorry," said Harry, voice muffled from where it was pressed into Sirius' shoulder.

"It's me who should be apologizing," Sirius said. "I shouldn't have left you alone in Hogsmeade, kiddo." His face shadowed briefly, and he sat back, allowing James more room. "Me and my bloody family... I always knew Bella was off her rocker, but I had no idea how crazy she really was."

"I told you not to blame yourself, Siri," James scolded. "You couldn't have known."

Harry watched the two of them bicker, and found himself wondering if he should tell them the truth, which was that Sirius wasn't to blame, because it was entirely _his_ fault. He'd known that Bellatrix LeStrange and Narcissa Malfoy couldn't be trusted, and he'd foolishly allowed himself to become lax around them, anyway. If it weren't for Regulus... His mind stuttered to a halt as the memory crashed into him, and he went cold all over at the recollection of that green light. Regulus!

"Regulus!" He burst out suddenly, cutting Sirius off. "What... is he...?"

"He's in St. Mungos," Sirius said, looking unusually sombre. "They haven't told me much yet, but I gather it's not... good."

Guilt flickered into emerald green eyes. "I... I'm sorry... He made me leave..."

"Don't be sorry, Harry. Regulus wanted to help you," Sirius told him. "If he had been even the least bit opposed to the idea, I would have taken Polyjuice and gone in myself."

"Though it is hard to say whether we would have had such a fortunate ending," a new voice said. All four of the adults around Harry's bed stiffened a bit as Professor Dumbledore entered the infirmary. Sirius, James, and Remus all got up from the bed and gathered around him almost protectively. Harry frowned in confusion as the headmaster said, "Madame Pomfrey informed me that you were awake, Harry. It is good to see that you were not harmed too badly. I have some questions about what happened, but of course, that can wait until you're feeling better," he added after seeing the looks on the faces of the Marauders.

"Yes sir," Harry said, nodding. He purposely avoided meeting those twinkling blue eyes and looked up at his mum instead. Her hand came down on his shoulders and he leaned his head against her arm. "There's not much I can tell you, though."

"More than you realize, I suspect," Dumbledore said with a jovial smile. "Sometimes the smallest detail can be the key to everything. But that is a discussion for another time, and I have brought a visitor with me that likely can't wait any longer." He drew forth his wand and cast a wordless spell in the direction of the infirmary door. It swung open to reveal...

_Ginny_. Harry's heart nearly stopped beating when he saw her standing in the doorway, looking even more beautiful than he remembered. She was staring at him, and her face was pale, but she wasn't crying, and he was relieved for that. His body moved of its own accord when she took a tentative step into the infirmary, pushing the blankets back and pulling out of Lily's grip and shoving by Remus, Sirius, and James. Walking required muscles that weren't quite ready to work yet, and he nearly tripped and fell on his face, but then Ginny was there, standing in front of him. Her arms came up and slipped around his neck, and he wrapped his around her waist and held on for dear life, because nothing could have felt as good as hugging Ginny Weasley did right then.

"Thank you," he whispered into her hair, breathing in the sweet scent. It made the hours of torture at the hands of Bellatrix seem like nothing, because she was soft and warm and the feel of her body beneath his hands was surely heaven.

"You're welcome," Ginny answered, and then she was crying, except this time Harry realized he really did not mind. It was quite different when a girl was crying over you instead of your dead rival, and even when she tilted her head back and he gave in to the urge to kiss her, it wasn't at all salty or wet. The taste was simply Ginny, and the feel of her was like a balm to his soul.

"Mr Potter, you should not be out of bed!"

"Only you could interrupt a reunion like that, Poppy."

"I'm _warning_ you, Black..."

Ginny pulled away, her cheeks glowing a faint pink, and lifted a hand to trace a bruise on his cheek. "I'm going to kill her for this," she said, making no pretence to hide the promise in her words.

Harry knew, then, for certain that she'd told the Marauders, his mother, and Dumbledore the truth... or at least some of it. He kissed her again and said with a wry smile, "Not if I get there first. I have a lot to get even for."

"You'll have to get healthy first. Even that rat could run circles around you right now. Maybe you'd best lay down before Sirius and Madame Pomfrey get into a fight," she suggested, amusement shining in her eyes.

Now that he was no longer involved in kissing her, he became aware of the tremendous strain in his weakened muscles. Of course, he could have kissed her again and happily forgotten all about it, and even contemplated doing so, but Ginny made the decision for him when she entertwined their hands and led him past Dumbledore and back to his bed. Harry slid back into the bed and allowed Lily to draw the covers back up before he pulled Ginny down on the bed beside him, appeasing Madame Pomfrey and Sirius at the same time.

"He took my wand," Harry said, remembering. He ached for the Slytherin wand that he hadn't even had the chance to use. It was probably snapped by now, lying in two halves somewhere in Riddle's mansion.

"Ollivander should have the wand we ordered ready soon," Lily said. There was a quiet little smile playing around her lips. "We can pick it up as soon as you've healed."

He nodded, feeling sleepy now that he was back in bed. Madame Pomfrey was speaking in quiet tones to Dumbledore, and Remus and James were listening closely. Harry took the chance to reach for Ginny's hand and lean down towards her. "He's awful," he breathed. "When I think of you... being in _his_ hold for nearly a year..." A shiver ran down his spine. Voldemort had been a bloodthirsty, psychotic monster, but Tom Riddle had his own brand of cruelty that was equally chilling.

A sad smile touched Ginny's lips and she rested her forehead against Harry's. "That was a long time ago, Harry. He can't hurt me anymore."

"Soon, he won't be able to hurt anyone ever again," Harry said firmly. "I'll make sure of that."

Golden brown eyes widened slightly, and then Ginny kissed him softly before she curled closer, laying her head on his shoulder. Harry wrappd one arm around her shoulders and watched as Lily and Sirius joined the dicussion. Whatever they were talking about was obviously of great importance if the look of concern on his family's faces were anything to go by, but he didn't even care. The next time he woke up, he would tell everyone everything – all about the Boy-Who-Lived and the prophecy that had dictated his future. For now, he was content to lay there with the girl he was pretty sure he was falling in love with.

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Please review!


	16. Chapter 16

**A/N:** This chapter was a bit hard to write... As you read it, I hope that everyone can understand the decision I made, namely that I chose not to write out every scene that Harry put into the pensieve and detail the reactions to it. I felt that it would take too much time, and that the story didn't really call for it. If that's what you wanted, I'm sorry, and please try to enjoy the chapter anyway.

* * *

Three days after he'd been rescued, Harry woke up in the Hospital Wing for the first time without feeling any pain. The small knife wounds on his chest, back, and thighs no longer throbbed when he stretched. His hands, which had developed the annoying habit of falling into tremors that only grew worse when he tried to control it, actually responded when he tried to flex them, and all of the muscles in his body felt loose and relaxed, restored to normal after the damage that Bellatrix had wrought. Best of all, there was a weight and warmth on his chest that went a long way towards explaining why he felt as rested as he did.

"Morning," Ginny murmured, seeing his eyes flutter. She was lying beside him in the bed, her head on his shoulder, and one hand on his chest. Her fiery hair streamed across the pillow. "I thought you'd be waking up soon."

"I feel better than I have in days," Harry admitted, leaning down to give her a quick kiss in greeting. Ginny had been his constant companion during the past few days, as she had flatly refused to leave. Madame Pomfrey hadn't been too happy about that, but not even she could overthrow Professor Dumbledore, much to Harry's joy. He rather enjoyed having the petite redhead around, and spent most of his conscious time learning more about her, allowing them to become closer. "I guess... I can't put_ it_ off any longer."

Ginny sighed and sat up, her long golden red hair sweeping across his chest as she moved. Harry suppressed a shiver as she said, "I guess not. Dumbledore was in here yesterday dropping less than subtle hints."

He smirked and sat up as well. Though he was clad only in a pair of pyjama bottoms that Lily had brought to him, he didn't feel self conscious in the least. "I don't mind, I guess," he said, picking up his glasses and sliding them onto his face. "It's not like _I_ have to watch them. The hardest part will be deciding which memories to show them, and I've been thinking about that a lot already."

"What have you decided?"

Harry got off of the bed and, after a quick check to make sure that Pomfrey was not around, picked up the pensieve that his father had brought him two days ago. He sat down beside Ginny and rested the pensieve on the bed between them, gazing at the silvery liquid. She reached out and picked up her wand from the nightstand, handing it to him without a word. The wand, different from the one she had wielded in the old world, vibrated gently against his fingertips. It wasn't _his_ wand, but for the spell that Remus had taught to him the day before, he supposed it would do.

"I've considered what you showed them," he said, thoughtfully spinning the wand between his fingers. "I only want to show them what matters most, or else we could be here all day. My first year wasn't really that important, so I thought that the encounter with Riddle in the Chamber of Secrets would be a decent start. I know you showed them some of your memories from that time, but they'll have the full story this way. Riddle actually admitted to me that he was Lord Voldemort. And my third year, with Sirius and Remus and Wormtail in the shack. I think it will have more impact if they can really see what Pettigrew did." He hadn't had the nerve to ask his family about Pettigrew and what his father and godfathers had thought of seeing Ginny's memories, mostly because he didn't know how to tell them that he didn't want them around the rat.

"That makes sense," she said, nodding. "What else?"

"The graveyard," he said quietly, unconsciously rubbing his arm, where the scar no longer existed. It still felt odd to touch his skin and feel only smoothness.

"Oh, Harry." Ginny's face twisted in sympathy.

"I think... some of Umbridge, and the Department of Mysteries, too, and Sirius, well, you know..." He couldn't bring himself to say it and instead looked into her eyes. It gave him the confidence to say, "The prophecy, too."

"The prophecy? What prophecy?"

It was time that she know, even though a part of him rebelled at ever having to tell her the hated words. Harry licked his lips and reached for her hand, squeezing it gently as he recited, "_The one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord approaches ... born to those who have thrice defied him, born as the seventh month dies ... and the Dark Lord will mark him as his equal, but he will have power the Dark Lord knows not ... and either must die at the hand of the other for neither can live while the other survives ... the one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord will be born as the seventh month dies ..._"

For a long moment, Ginny didn't say anything. She just stared at him, lips pinched into a thin line as she silently absorbed what he'd just said. Then her golden eyes widened and her free hand flew to her mouth. "That's..."

"About me and Voldemort, yeah." Harry sighed deeply and turned his gaze out the window, unwilling to see the pity in her eyes. "Dumbledore – the one from our world – said that it's the whole reason Voldemort came after me in the first place. He only heard the first part of it, where it said I would be born, and he went after my parents, hoping to kill me before I ever became a threat." He decided not to tell her that the prophecy could have also referred to Neville. "That's what the whole situation at the Department of Mysteries was about... Bastard decided he wanted to hear the full prophecy, but he never did get the chance to hear the whole thing. I expect that's why he changed time... he was thinking that if Tom Riddle never openly became Lord Voldemort, Lily and James Potter wouldn't have defied him three times, thus rendering the prophecy null and void."

"But it's not true anymore, anyway," she pointed out, placing her hand on his cheek and forcing him to look at her. She smiled sadly, looking sympathetic but not piteous like he had feared. "I mean, in this world, you don't have a scar on your forehead. Voldemort never marked you as an equal."

"I know that Tom Riddle didn't, but... Riddle told me that when the effects of time caught up with Voldemort and he literally fell apart, Riddle absorbed what remained of his soul," he explained, shuddering at the thought. "That means... the connection that existed between Voldemort and I is still there to some degree. And..." Merlin, he hated to tell her this. "There's a connection between you and him... that's... that's there too."

He hadn't been quite sure what he expected when he divulged that bit of information. If it had been Ron, there would have been an explosion for certain. Hermione probably would've gone quite pale and made a dash for the library. Draco would've gone silent and stoic, waiting until he was alone to have any sort of reaction. Ginny stiffened and slowly slid her hand out of Harry's grip as she stood up. Without saying a word, she walked over to the window and gazed out, her eyes focused on something Harry couldn't see. Feeling awful, he rested his elbows on his knees and leaned towards her, wanting to give comfort but unsure of how to do so. And then she said something that froze him where he was.

"I know."

"You... you _know_?" he repeated, utterly gobsmacked.

Ginny sighed deeply and turned around to face him. "When Tom Riddle attacked me in the Chamber, he cast a spell so that he could use my life force for his." The fingers of her left hand clasped weakly at her right shoulder, and Harry had the feeling he knew where Riddle's curse had struck her. "When it was all over... afterwards... I felt a bit... different. Thank Godric, it was never as strong as your connection to Voldemort, because it was originally forged to Riddle, whom you killed in the Chamber. But it was there, and when you were kidnapped, I got to thinking... It didn't take a genius to figure out what we both had in common that no one else does." Her face crumpled and she sucked in a deep breath, twisting her hands. "That's why we remember, isn't it?"

Because he didn't think he could speak, Harry just nodded. He stood up and went to her, wrapping his arms around her in a movement that felt natural. "I'm so sorry," he whispered into her ear. "Why didn't you ever tell me?"

"My parents wanted me to forget about the Chamber and what happened down there," Ginny said quietly. She hadn't returned the hug, but she didn't try to pull away, either. Her cheek was cushioned against his shoulder, and Harry thought he could feel a bit of dampness on his skin. "They thought the best way for me to cope with it was to pretend that it hadn't happened. Then there was the news about Sirius Black and the Dementors were coming to Hogwarts and... Before I knew it, the year was over and the Quidditch World Cup was all anyone could talk about. It was too late, then."

Harry tightened his hold, hating himself. He'd never given a thought to Ginny and how she was feeling after the Chamber. Not once had he asked her how she was doing, having been too caught up in his own life to care. He opened his mouth, intending to apologize again, and felt the touch of cool fingers against his lips. Ginny looked up into his eyes and smiled. It wasn't a happy smile, but he understood and kissed her instead, pressing their bodies together. This time, she wound her hands around his shoulders as she pulled away just enough to allow them both the chance to breathe.

"It was a long time ago, and we have to focus on Riddle," she said, her mouth so close that their lips brushed when she spoke. "Fill the pensieve and take it to your parents, Harry. The sooner that Riddle is gone, the sooner that we'll both be free."

"I wonder if we ever will be," he muttered, but he kissed her one last time before he reluctantly let go and returned to the bed. He took Ginny's wand in hand and closed his eyes, thinking only about the memories he wanted to show. Pressing the wand to his temple, he uttered the spell in a low voice. Gleaming silvery strands pulled away when he removed the tip of the wand, and he lowered them into the pensieve. The liquid churned as the strands sank inside.

"They're probably in Dumbledore's office," Ginny said, looking at the pensieve curiously.

"Yeah, I'll just get dressed, and then we'll take it up." He drew the curtain across and shucked off the pyjama bottoms, then dressed quickly in a pair of pants and a t-shirt that Lily had brought him. "You can... look, if you want."

"I trust that you've told me what's important. I hardly have the desire to see Sirius dying."

"It's not pleasant, I'll give you that much." Harry emerged from behind the curtain and picked up the pensieve carefully. He wasn't quite sure what would happen to the liquid or to his memories if he dropped it, but he wasn't anxious to find out. Stepping carefully, with Ginny at his side, he left the Hospital Wing and travelled further into the heart of Hogwarts. The headmaster's office was exactly where he remembered it to be, though surprisingly, the gargoyle did not ask for a password, but merely leapt aside as soon as the two of them approached. Once the stairs had brought them to the top, Ginny knocked, and then took the pensieve from his hands as the door was opened from the inside.

"What are you – oof!" His question was cut off abruptly when Lia shot across the room and threw herself at him as soon as she saw Harry. He gasped, short of breath from an accidental elbow in the stomach, and saw Ginny hide a grin as she carried the pensieve into the room and set it on Professor Dumbledore's desk.

"Are you okay, Harry?" Lia asked frantically. "Did he hurt you?"

"I'm fine," Harry said, pushing her away a bit so that she could see. He spread his arms and offered her a smile. "Look, no harm done that Madame Pomfrey couldn't fix."

Lia looked him over anxiously, but eventually nodded, conceding that he did look to be in reasonable health. "I'm glad. When Mum wouldn't let me in to see you, I thought maybe you'd been tortured or something like that."

The words – the notion that anyone could be innocent enough to not know what Tom Riddle would do to any enemy – were a shock of cold water after three days with Ginny, and Harry didn't need James' frantic hand motions or Lily's warning eye to know that Lia shouldn't be told otherwise. He just said, "It wasn't that bad," and put a hand under her elbow to steer her back into the room so that he could close the door.

"I trust these are these your memories, Harry?" Dumbledore asked.

"Yes, sir." He crossed the room to stand next to Ginny and slipped his hands into hers. "The ones that I think are most important, anyway."

"Very well. Have you any protests against anyone in the room seeing them?"

Harry looked around, taking in who was in the room for the first time. James, Lily, Remus, Sirius, Dumbledore, Lia, Draco and Hermione, Professor McGonagall, Professor Snape, and Tonks and Shacklebolt. The last two gave him pause to see, but he shook his head. "No, sir. I'm okay."

"Excellent. One after another, please."

Hermione came close enough to Harry to give him an anxious look and a squeeze on the arm, while Draco clapped him on the shoulder as the two of them were waiting their turn. No words were exchanged between them because there were so many people around, but it was comforting to know that they cared nevertheless. Harry stood back with an arm around Ginny and watched as the small group disappeared into his memories. He felt strange not being in there with them, even though he'd given them permission to go. It struck him for the first time how private memories really were, and he suddenly understood just why the Snape in his world had been so enraged after Harry had peeked into his pensieve. At least Dumbledore had had the courtesy to ask if it was alright for everyone to go.

"Merlin, this world really has changed me," he muttered to himself, too low for Ginny to hear. Hardly able to believe that he was actually feeling guilty for intruding on that git's privacy, Harry wandered over to the window of Dumbledore's office. Fawkes, who could usually be found on the perch next to the window, was missing. But the window itself was quite large, with a spectacular view of the lake and a large part of the Hogwarts grounds and the Forbidden Forest. He sat down on the sill and wedged his back against the wall, with one leg on the outside and one leg on the inside. Ginny stood up from where she had sat down in the seat Hermione had vacated and glanced at him.

"Room for two?" she asked.

"Sure." It took a bit of manoeuvring, but eventually, Ginny curled up in front of him, her side pressed up against his front, and tucked her knees up under her body. Harry wound his arms around her waist as a precaution and gazed out over the grounds. He could make out Hagrid and Fang coming out of the Forbidden Forest, and a black-cloaked figure striding to meet them. At one point, Fawkes appeared, soaring through the air and chirping and cooing like he was putting on a show just for the two of them. They sat in silence for a long time, watching as the sun gradually began to set. At last, wondering if Ginny was even awake, Harry spoke. "When I look out... it's still so hard to believe that it's not the same place."

"I know," she answered quietly after a slight pause. "Sometimes... when I wake up in the morning... Before I open my eyes, I forget that everything has changed. Even when I go downstairs, I can almost make myself believe that things are the same. But then something will happen... and it's the little things that make the biggest difference, you know?"

"I do," Harry said, resting his cheek on her hair. He wondered how much longer the people in the pensieve would take. It had been at least an hour and a half. "Gin, do you... do you miss your family?"

"Yes."

"I'm sorry."

"It's not your fault, Harry. You didn't ask for Voldemort to go back in time and change things. It's just... Once in a while, I look at everyone, and I can't help but think how much _easier_ it would be if I didn't remember the other world. If I didn't know how things could be different. But..." Tilting her head, she looked up into Harry's eyes. "That would mean you'd be all alone here, and I wouldn't want that."

"Maybe..." Harry never got the chance to voice the rest of his thought. At that moment, the pensieve shuddered and expelled a group of people into the room. He blinked in astonishment at his family, friends, and professors, and had all of two seconds before Lily leapt to her feet.

"Harry..." she whispered, face ashen.

Immediately, Ginny squirmed out of his arms and stood against the wall as Harry hopped off of the sill and looked at his family nervously. Lily and James were beside him in an instant, wrapping him into an embrace so tight that it hurt. Sirius and Remus stood nearby with unusually serious expressions, waiting for their chance. Draco stood with an arm around Hermione's shoulders, and Lia leaning heavily against his other side. All three of them looked pale, and Hermione and Lia had been crying. Snape sank into a chair, looking sourer than ever. McGonagall summoned a house elf and began requesting tea. Tonks and Kingsley began a heated, whispered conversation, and Dumbledore stood silently, keen blue eyes locked onto Harry.

"Do you believe me now?" Harry asked him, glancing up over his father's shoulder.

"I never disbelieved you, Harry," Dumbledore said gently. "However, now that we know what Riddle is capable of, I believe we need to proceed with more caution than ever."

"But... is it true? That we can't change things back to the way they used to be?" he persisted as Sirius and Remus caught him up in a hug. Even though Hermione and Draco had confirmed that as the truth, he needed to see if it was true. The misery in Ginny's voice when she spoke of her family still haunted him. It didn't seem fair that she had lost hers when he had gained his.

"I'm afraid not. Miss Granger and Mister Malfoy were correct."

Harry sighed and disentangled himself from Remus reluctantly. "I'm sorry, Gin," he said, feeling awful.

"You're so stupid, Harry."

"What?" A bit insulted, he frowned in her direction.

"You heard me." Ginny flipped her hair over her shoulder and put one slender hand on her hip. When she spoke, she looked him straight in the eyes, forcing him to acknowledge her words as the truth. "I would have given _anything _for Sirius to come back to you, Harry, after he... died." She spoke the word with some difficulty. "Voldemort unintentionally granted us a miracle. How could I live with myself if I, if anyone, took that away from you?"

"Ginny..." Harry wasn't quite sure what to say to that. He just stood there and stared at her. It had occurred to him, quite suddenly, that he was probably in love with Ginny Weasley... and that she just might be in love with him. "I... Thank you."

Even though he very much wanted to, Harry didn't get much chance to say anything to her after that. Lily put an arm around his shoulders and insisted on taking him down to the Potter quarters so that the three of them could have a proper talk about just what she and James had seen in the pensieve. He went without much protest after Sirius and Remus promised that the two of them would be down before long. The house elf popped back into the room with trays of tea and cookies, breaking up the fight between Tonks and Kingsley and snapping Snape out of the daze he'd fallen into. Remus snagged a bit of chocolate as Sirius glanced at Ginny, clearly wanting to approach the girl... but he'd been beaten.

"Hey." Lia glanced curiously at Ginny as she sipped from her cup of tea. "You... really love my brother, don't you?"

Ginny folded her arms across her chest and smiled. "I've loved Harry for most of my life," she said simply, closing her eyes. "All I've ever wanted is for him to be happy. Right now, right here, he is, and that is most important to me. For myself... I can live with this world." She looked at Lia and winked. "Besides, I can console myself with imagining how Voldemort must be utterly disgusted right now."

Lia chuckled. "I guess there is that."

"Sirius..." Ginny stepped past Lia and gazed at the man sheepishly. "I'm sorry. That time, when I randomly hugged you before the party... I didn't mean to disturb you. At least now you know why."

Sirius snorted and reached out, jerking her into a hug. She came quite willingly. "Considering how much you've been helping my godson since he woke up, I think I can forgive you," he said.

Laughing, Ginny slipped out of his embrace. "Go on," she said, pointing to the door. "Harry's waiting for you, and I know he won't begin until you're both there."

As the two of them left, she turned back to the window and the dark night beyond. It was hard to reconcile herself with the idea that she would never see her family or any of their friends, like Hermione, again. This world might have been mostly the same, but a few tiny differences could change a lot, and even after Hermione and Draco had warned them, she'd still held onto some small hope that they would be able to change things back. Now she had to come to terms with the fact that that would never happen. Ginny sighed and leaned against the window. At least every word that she had spoken to Harry and Lia was completely true, and she took some comfort in that. Seeing the joy in Harry's eyes as his small family gathered around him was worth every loss.

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Please review!


	17. Chapter 17

**A/N:** I took a few liberties with the patronus charm in this chapter, including changing Ginny's patronus (she's been through enough I figured I could get away with it). I also wanted to let you know that there's probably only a couple of chapters left to this story; I can't say for certain whether the final battle will be one chapter or two, but after that will be the epilogue, and then this story will be done. Enjoy it while you can.

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"You can't be serious!" Harry stood in the middle of Professor Dumbledore's office and stared at the man in disbelief. Dumbledore was sitting behind his desk, hands folded on top. His blue eyes were not twinkling, and there were no sherbet lemons in sight. Fawkes shifted on his perch and made a comforting sound, but it did nothing to soothe Harry's angry. "After everything Ginny and I showed you... you still don't want to fight with Tom Riddle? You've seen the kinds of things that he can do. We know that he was planning an attack on Hogwarts! How can you just let him go free?"

"Please try to understand, Harry," Professor Dumbledore said softly, looking unhappy. "I realize that this must be very frustrating for you, but we have no proof that Tom Riddle is evil in this world. Lord Voldemort does not exist here. The attacks and the dark creatures could have come from anyone. We cannot bring this matter to the attention of the Ministry or even the wizarding public without evidence. Not only is Tom Riddle a Hogwarts professor, he is a highly respected member of the wizarding community, with many influential connections. I cannot afford to wage war against him and risk having the world at large turn against us. Allowing him to gain any greater foothold in the community would be disastrous, and that is exactly what will happen if we go into this too quickly."

"So you're just going to let him keep doing whatever the hell he wants?" Harry demanded, struggling to keep his anger under control. It was tempting to just let loose. "Even though I _know_ he was the one who placed Dementors in the Chamber of Secrets, and werewolves and lethifolds in the Forbidden Forest? It was all a part of his plan to take over Hogwarts."

"We have no proof," the headmaster repeated with a tired sigh. "I'm sorry, Harry. I realize how frustrating this must be for you, but the situation is entirely different this time around than it was in your world. Here, Tom Riddle has been very clever in hiding his tracks. Until we have sufficient evidence against him, I must ask that you not do anything rash."

Harry scowled deeply. "I'll try not to," he muttered after a pause. A knock came at the door, giving him his chance to slip away. "Good day, Headmaster."

"Good day, Harry."

The door swung open, revealing Professor McGonagall and Remus. Harry stormed past the two of them without responding to their greetings and went down the stairs, not even bothering to try and listen at the door. He had to get out of there, or he was going to blow up Dumbledore's office all over again; he hadn't been this annoyed with Dumbledore since the man had admitted the truth about the prophecy in the other world. Common sense told him that the headmaster really was doing everything he could against Riddle, but that just wasn't good enough. Not when it allowed the evil man to continue plotting and attacking at will.

He made his way down to the Great Hall, where – due to the fact that most of the teachers were still on vacation, and the students hadn't returned yet – his friends were the only ones present. Hermione was flipping madly through a book on dark creatures, pausing every once in a while to scribble something down. Draco and Ron were in deep, heated discussion, which Lia was struggling to mediate. Ginny was drumming her fingers on the table and looking at them all with a mixture of fondness and exasperation. Harry had to fight back a smile. At least some things would never change, even if it was still a jolt to the system to see Draco Malfoy and Ron Weasley having a reasonable conversation that didn't involve insults.

Ron had shown up a few hours after Harry's revelation, sent by his parents to bring Ginny home. After Ginny had filled him in on what was going on and shown him the memories in the pensieve, he'd decided to stick around and help in whatever way that he could, much to Molly Weasley's dismay. There could be many things said about Ronald Weasley, but even in this world, he was a loyal friend to the end. He'd immediately caught on to the fact that if it had been Riddle who placed the Dementors in the Chamber (and it was a safe presumption that it had been, since few other people could access the place), then he might have placed other dark creatures around the school in preparation for an attack. That was how the werewolves and lethifolds that had been dwelling within the Forbidden Forest had been found by Hagrid. Now he and Draco were deep into research concerning dark creatures and where else Riddle might have hidden them, while Hermione was trying to figure out how they might prove Riddle was behind it.

"How's it going?" he asked, looking at his girlfriend.

"I've decided I don't miss the other world at all. How could I, when this place is exactly the same?" Ginny said, blinking up at him. "It's like hearing a bunch of toddlers bickering."

"I'm sure they mean well," he offered, chuckling. He sat down beside her on the bench and glanced around, realizing that the six of them were sitting at the Ravenclaw table. No doubt Draco had refused to sit at the Gryffindor table, and Ron had refused to sit at the Slytherin table. "I guess Draco and Ron will just never get along."

"You can say that again," Lia said, giving up. She scooted along the bench until she was sitting on Harry's other side and shook her head in wonder. "I'll never understand how the two of them can fight so much, yet work so well together."

"That is a mystery," Harry agreed. "It was a no go with Dumbledore," he added, purposely raising his voice so that the other three would hear him. Hermione peeked at him over the top of her book, and both Ron and Draco ceased their fighting to pay attention. "He says that Tom Riddle has too much support within the community to risk attacking him outright. We have to wait until Riddle slips up somehow and gives us evidence to prove that he's the one behind the attacks."

"But that could take months!" Ginny cried in dismay. "Riddle's smarter than that. He's lasted over thirty years without making a single mistake."

"Maybe not," said Hermione, closing her book. "He could've made mistakes, Ginny, and we just haven't found them yet."

"So how do we go about doing that?" Lia asked. She jumped when a platter of cookies and six mugs of hot chocolate appeared on the table. "Finding his mistakes, I mean. Isn't he some kind of evil genius?"

"No one's smarter than Hermione," said Ron firmly. A faint blush coloured his cheeks when Hermione glanced at him in surprise, and he shifted on the bench, clearly embarrassed. "Er... I mean... if he made a mistake, we'll be able to find it. I'm just worried that it might take quite a while."

"Ironically, time is the one thing we don't have," Draco muttered, blowing gently on his hot chocolate.

An uneasy silence fell over the table as each of them pondered the truth of that statement. Harry sighed deeply and absently carded his fingers through Ginny's long hair, staring pensively up at the sky above them. The sun was shining and there wasn't a cloud in the sky. Perfect weather for Quidditch. Sadly, he'd never felt less like flying. A large part of him balked at the thought of doing something like flying when there was a madman like Riddle running free... even if he couldn't do anything about it.

"This is really frustrating," said Lia, breaking the silence.

Draco rolled his eyes. "No one said it would be easy."

"We just have to keep trying," Hermione said, elbowing her boyfriend none too gently in the ribs.

"Maybe we're looking the wrong places," Ron suggested, smirking. "I mean... basically all that we've proven so far is that Professor Riddle is extremely good at covering his tracks. Hermione, I know you were trying to find out how he might've gotten the werewolves and lethifolds here, but isn't there another way we can look at this?"

"Well, I can't think of a single place near Hogwarts where he might have hidden dark creatures that hasn't been checked," Hermione admitted, taking a small bite from a cookie and chewing slowly. "That's not to say he hasn't employed other creatures, but I know for a fact that there's nothing in the lake, because the inhabitants would have alerted the headmaster if something new was introduced. Unless something else is in the Forbidden Forest that Hagrid hasn't stumbled onto yet... But we can't really go and check that out for ourselves... Harry, what do you think? Harry?"

"There's an owl flying around the ceiling," Harry said.

Five pairs of eyes immediately looked up. Sure enough, a massive, pitch black owl was coasting around the room, having squeezed in through one of the slots that the mail owls used. The animal landed in the middle of the table, nearly upsetting the platter of cookies. Razor sharp claws dug deeply into the wood of the Ravenclaw table as the owl strutted back and forth, cooing angrily. Intelligent golden eyes raked over each of them before alighting on Harry. He winced as the bird crept closer and stuck a wicked-looking leg out, showing off the message that had been tied to its foot.

"Er... I guess it's for you, mate," Ron said weakly, leaning as far back from the bird as he could.

Harry stared at the letter. "Just my luck."

"Don't touch it." Ginny grabbed his arm. "What if it's a portkey?"

"Let Lia and I cast some spells," said Hermione. She took out her wand and bent forward, murmuring a spell under her breath. Lia copied the movement, swirling her wand in a lazy pattern. Soft blue light filtered over the envelope, darkening towards the middle. The two girls looked at each other and nodded. "There's a portkey inside, but the envelope is safe as far as we can tell."

Reassured, Harry reached out again. He gingerly untied the message, half expecting it to come alive and attack him, and then yelped in pain as the true culprit was revealed; the vicious owl took a great deal of pleasure in taking a chunk out of the back of his hand. Strong wings slapped him upside the head as the owl leapt into the air, voicing its complaints in a piercing shriek that rang through the room long after it had left.

"Pretty bad when even an owl can beat you," Ginny teased, pulling out her wand and casting a healing spell.

"That was no normal owl," Harry mumbled, wincing as the pain eased and the skin and muscle re-grew. He squeezed her hand in thanks and then slid his finger beneath the flap of the envelope to open it. Even though he trusted Hermione and Lia, he opened it carefully, ready in case something happened. But nothing did; a slip of creamy parchment fluttered out onto the table, followed by a candy wrapper for toffee. Everyone stared at the items with some trepidation before Harry found the nerve to pick the parchment up and turn it over. His eyes darted over the words and grew wide with astonishment.

"What does it say?" Draco asked impatiently.

"It's from Riddle," Harry said, barely able to speak past his shock.

"_What_?"

"From _Riddle_?"

"Are you sure?"

"Drop it! It's probably cursed by spells we don't know!"

"Let me see." Ignoring the rest of their friends, Ginny slipped the parchment out of his hands and read it out loud. "Potter. You wanted a duel, you got it. Take hold of the portkey within ten minutes of reading this, or you've lost your chance." She flipped it over, then glanced up. "That's all it says."

"Shit," Draco breathed. "It's a trap."

"Obviously you can't go," Hermione said. "It's too dangerous. We should alert the professors and let them decide what to do." She eyed the toffee wrapper with distrust.

"As much as I hate to agree with Malfoy, I'm with him, mate," said Ron. "You go, you'll be ambushed."

Lia was watching Harry closely. A resigned smile curved her lips as she said, "But in spite of all that, you're going to go anyway, aren't you?"

"I have to," Harry said with quiet determination. "I can't... I can't let him hurt anyone else. Even if it's a trap, if there's a chance that I could stop him, I have to take it."

"Harry!" protested Hermione. "You can't. This is suicide!"

"I'm sorry, Mione. I know the prophecy doesn't exist anymore, but I still feel like it's my destiny to stop him." Harry took the parchment from Ginny and folded it in half, looking pensive. "Professor Dumbledore's hands are tied, and there's no one else who can do this. He could destroy the world and no one would ever know until it was too late. If I don't stand up to Tom Riddle, who will?"

"I'm going with you," Ginny said. There was no room for argument in her words, and Harry acknowledged that when he leaned down and kissed her briefly.

"Me too," said Lia.

"No way. You're too young," said Harry. "Mum practically killed me after I dragged you into the Chamber."

"You can say what you want, I'm going," she declared firmly, hazel eyes flashing with determination. "I'm only a year younger than you, Harry, and from what I saw in the pensieve, you've been doing dangerous stuff way longer. It might be your destiny to stop him, but I'm going to be there to help you. This bastard is threatening my home and everyone that I love. You have no right to keep me out of this war; it's my fight, too."

"She's got a point." Golden eyes twinkled mischievously as Ginny smiled. "I can't tell you how many times I wanted to say that to my parents in the old world, Lia."

"I'll go, too," Hermione said suddenly, wringing her hands. She looked worried, but her voice rang with conviction. "You might need my help."

"Hermione!" Draco groaned, then sighed, accepting the inevitable. "Alright, but if I die, I'm going to come back and haunt you for the rest of your life, Potter."

"Duly noted," Harry nodded.

"Okay, I'm in, too," said Ron, smiling grimly. "Do you think we ought to tell someone?"

"No way. They'll just stop us," Harry answered.

"Yes way. This is not going to be the Department of Mysteries all over again," said Ginny, glaring at him. She held up her wand. "In the old world, Tonks taught me how the Order of Phoenix sends messages to each other through their patronus. I'm going to send my patronus to tell Sirius what's going on. He can round up the others and bring help. I know we'll probably need it."

"How will he know where we are?" Lia asked. "We don't know where the portkey will take us."

"Leave that to me. I did extensive research on portkeys for Ancient Runes last semester." Hermione stood up and, frowning in concentration, tapped her wand against the candy wrapper. The wrapper glowed a deep red, and then a small ball of pale light rose from the middle of it. "Ginny, do you think your patronus could carry this to Sirius as well? It's a compilation of the coordinates that the portkey has been set to, but I'm pretty sure that it shouldn't harm the portkey in any way."

"I think so." Ginny closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "_Expecto Patronum_!" she shouted. From the tip of her wand spilled a massive, silvery lion that prowled around the room tossing its head. Ginny turned to Hermione and extended her wand for the ball of red light, then walked over to her patronus and bent down, speaking to it in a low voice. After a moment's pause, the patronus took the ball of red light into its mouth and bounded towards the far wall, passing straight through it. "Okay, let's go. We haven't got much time now that it's gone."

"It's just about time, anyway," said Draco, levitating the candy wrapper with his wand.

"Have your wands out," Harry ordered, casting a sticking hex to make sure that his wand could not be taken from him without his notice. He watched as his friends performed the same charm.

The six of them gathered in a circle with the wrapper in the middle, wands out and ready. Hermione counted the seconds out loud, then ordered them to grab the wrapper when there were only a few moments left. Six hands reached out and touched the wrapper at the same time. The candy wrapper lit up with a dull light and Harry felt a wrenching sensation in his midsection. At the same time, he heard voices shouting behind him, and glanced over his shoulder. Sirius and James were running into the room, but they were too late. Having activated, the portkey yanked the six teenagers away from the safety of the castle and thrust them headlong into war.

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Please review.


	18. Chapter 18

**A/N:** You are so lucky to get a chapter this weekend! Between my cat dying and my internet acting all wonky, I wasn't sure you'd get one after all. That's why it's a bit short. I urge you all to check out the end of the chapter, where I've posted something about my next HP story, and let me know what you think. Enjoy!

**IMPORTANT NOTE:** Alright, I'm tired of getting reviews complaining about the use of "Protego" to block the Cruciatus curse. From what I researched, the killing curse was the only confirmed unforgiveable that can't be blocked by magical means. I found many conflicting resources as to whether or not a spell like "Protego" could block the other two. In short, no one seems 100% sure. For that reason, in this story the Cruciatus curse can be blocked by "Protego". So please stop complaining about it, okay?

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The portkey tossed them down onto the dirt with a jarring _thump_ that made every bone in Harry's body quiver. He staggered and fell against Ginny, who lost her balance and went down with Harry on top of her. Harry grunted when he felt a couple more people land on top of him and, wincing, managed to crane his neck so that he could look around. Draco and Hermione were the only ones who'd managed to stay on their feet, though there was a distinctly green tint to Hermione's cheeks and Draco looked pale. Knowing that it meant Ron and Lia were the ones on top of him and Ginny, he squirmed and somehow managed to wriggle out of the pile.

"Come on, everybody up," he said urgently, helpfully pushing Ron off of Ginny until his girlfriend had enough space to get up. He was glad to see that, as Ron and Lia scrambled to their feet, everyone still held their wands. So far no one had surprised them with an attack, but he was certain that it could happen at any time.

Harry took the chance to take a quick look around as his friends dusted themselves off, wondering where they were. The six of them had landed in a sort of clearing enclosed by dead trees, with the only way out being a pathway that led to the right. The clearing was dark and dimly light thanks to ominous clouds that swirled overhead, making it difficult to see if there was anyone hiding in the trees. He lifted his wand and cast a _lumos_, hoping it would help. It didn't, even when the other five helpfully cast the same spell; the trees must have been spelled against allowing any source of light to reveal their secrets.

"Where do we go first?" Lia asked, keeping her voice quiet. "Do you think... should we stick to the trees so that they won't see us coming?"

"Sounds good to me," said Harry, thinking that her idea had merit; he didn't like the idea of just walking up to Riddle and being a sitting duck for the man to pick them off one by one. He started to take a step towards the trees, and was brought up short when Hermione threw an arm out to stop him. She stooped and picked up a small rock as Harry shot her a confused look. She flashed him a grim smile and tossed her rock at the trees. An green barrier flickered into effect instantly, causing the rock to bounce off with a shower of sparks. A bunch of pebbles hit the dirt. Everyone stared in shock as Hermione nodded grimly with satisfaction and looked at them.

"I suggest we stick to the path and use rocks to find the right way to go. Whatever you do, don't touch that barrier. I've read about spells like that. It's the equivalent of a muggle electrified fence, only a thousand times more potent," she said.

"Bloody hell," Ron muttered, his freckles standing out starkly against the pallor of his face. "I guess they're going to see us coming."

"Maybe not. Does anyone know the Disillusionment Charm?" Ginny asked.

"I do." Draco moved forward and lifted his wand.

"Hang on. Everyone hold onto each other," Hermione ordered. "We'll risk losing each other if we don't, and we need to stick together. Harry, you be in the lead. Ginny, you're right behind him. Hold onto his shirt, not his hand. Lia, you're next. Then Ron, then me, and Draco, you'll be in the rear so that you can cast the spell on yourself last."

The six of them got into the ordere Hermione had suggested, allowing Draco to cast the Disillusionment charm on each of them in turn. Harry shivered at the feeling and resisted the urge to check for a broken egg on top of his head. Instead, he turned, looking in the direction that he assumed his friends were. He couldn't see anything as long as they were standing still, but that would change as soon as the group moved. But that couldn't be helped, and at least it was better than having nothing at all. Grimly, he took a step forward and felt Ginny fall in line behind him. After tossing a rock at the entrance to the pathway and making sure that there was no barrier, they proceeded forwards.

"_Crucio_!"

The attack came within seconds, aimed at the middle of their group. Harry and Draco reacted at the same time, casting a shield charm instantly. A bubble of silvery light formed in front of the curse, cutting it off effectively. Another curse came from the back where the shield didn't reach, canceling the Disillusionment Charm. At the same time, two figures emerged from the trees on opposite sides of the group, a man and a woman. Both wore dark cloaks, but the signature white masks were missing. Obviously Tom Riddle did not believe that they would live long enough to go home and spread stories around. Draco stiffened when he saw the two of them, his wand trembling in his grasp, and Hermione gasped softly when Lucius and Narcissa Malfoy moved forward enough to be visible.

"Mother? Father?" Draco whispered.

"Draco, I am ashamed. I would have thought you'd had more sense than to join a group of Gryffindors," Lucius said, shaking his head with disappointment. "It's not too late, my son. I am sure our lord would allow you to join if you were to state your case of temporary insanity."

Draco wavered, glanced at Hermione, and then took a deep breath. He tightened his hand around his wand. "Why would I want to join someone that I have to bow before?" he snapped, grey eyes flashing. "The Malfoys do not bow to anyone. You taught me that, Father. I only wish that you had seen the value in following your own instructions."

Lucius' face went pale with fury. "Why you little... _Crucio_!"

"_Protego_!" Draco shouted. As the bubble of light formed over the group, he looked at Harry. "What are you hanging around here for? I can handle my parents, but not if I have to worry about shielding you at the same time. Besides, Riddle is waiting for you. Go."

"But Draco..." protested Ginny.

"It's okay. I'll stay with him," said Hermione, looking calm and determined in the silvery light. "No arguments," she added when Draco went to speak. "I mean it, Draco. I'm not leaving you to face both of them at the same time. Don't you know that Gryffindors always want to play fair?"

"Foolish Gryffindors," he muttered, but the comment was lackluster at best. He wrapped an arm around Hermione's waist and kissed her, drawing an enraged shriek from Narcissa. "Go, Harry. Get rid of that bastard."

"Good luck, Draco," Harry said before grabbing Ginny's hand. He started to run, knowing that Lia and Ron would be right behind them. Just before the four of them left the clearing behind entirely, he heard Hermione taunting Narcissa over the fact that her baby boy was dating a mudblood and had to smile. Nothing else could make Narcissa loose control as fast as that could. But that was Hermione for you. In this world, she might care more about her clothing and appearence, but she still had a streak of cleverness that no one could beat.

"Do you think they'll be alright?" Lia asked, panting.

"They'll have to be," Harry said grimly.

"Hermione and Draco are resourceful," Ginny said, making an effort to placate her. "And I doubt Lucius and Narcissa are going to dare hurt the last line of the Malfoy family."

Harry wasn't so sure about that, especially where Hermione was concerned, but Lia seemed to believe it, so he let it go. Ginny's hand was warm in his, and he clutched it tightly as they rounded a corner. He stopped abruptly, gasping heavily, and looked around. There was a fork in the road, with one pathway leading left and the other leading right. Aside from that, both of them appeared to be identical. Which one were they meant to take? Bending down, he tried Hermione's trick of throwing rocks to see if a barrier would appear. Nothing happened, meaning that both ways were clear.

"What do you think?" he asked.

Ron studied the two paths with narrowed eyes. "I think both are probably equally dangerous and laden with traps. It's more a matter of which one we'd prefer to take as opposed to which one will be safer. Riddle really wants to duel with you, Harry, so I suspect both would eventually lead to the same place."

"Let's go right, then," Harry proposed. "I can't tell them apart, so we might as well just pick one."

Ginny walked over to the tree nearest to the right pathway and muttered something under her breath. Her wand lit with a bright red light that seared deeply into the bark, leaving an arrow symbol that was pointing to the right. "It will tell Sirius and the others which way we've gone when they come," she explained, brushing ash away from the arrow. "This place is built kind of like a maze. I don't want help to be delayed in coming for any reason."

"Good plan," said Harry, smiling at her. "Let's - "

"_Sectumsempra_!" A jet of light burst from the opening of the left path and struck Lia. She fell with a cry as Peter Pettigrew came into view. The man was visibly trembling, but he faced the four squarely.

"Lia, oh my god, are you okay?" Ginny knelt beside the girl and saw that Lia's left ankle had been broken by her fall, and that there was an ugly, seeping wound on her right knee. Lia whimpered when Ginny tried to wipe some of the blood away, visibly struggling to hold back tears.

"You fucking bastard..." Harry seethed, a murderous light in his green eyes. "I let you live once, you rat. I won't make that mistake a second time, believe me."

"No!" Ron stepped forward, blocking Harry, and spoke fast. "Harry, you have to keep going. The only way this is going to end is if you get to Riddle and put a stop to this once and for all. No one else can do it but you. I'll stay here and protect Lia, alright? I promise I won't let anything happen to her. I_ swear_."

"Ron..." Harry hesitated, looking from his determined friend to Pettigrew. He would have liked nothing more than to cast the killing curse himself and watch the light die from the rat's eyes. But Ron was right. It was more important for him to worry about Riddle, and he'd need all of his energy to battle the psychopath. Eventually, he sighed. "Alright. Don't take any chances, though, got it? If he becomes too much, take Lia and run for it."

"Got it. Ginny, go with Harry," Ron ordered. "I'll be fine."

Looking tense and worried, Ginny nodded, pausing only to give her brother a kiss on the cheek before she and Harry took off up the path to the right. From six all the way down to two, Harry worried, glancing at his girlfriend out of the corner of his eyes. How much longer would he and Ginny be able to stick together? The problem was, of course, that Riddle was too clever by far. He'd known that Harry would bring friends along, and had no doubt purposely designed this trap to separate them. Harry gritted his teeth, growing even more determined with every step; he _would_ kill Riddle.

The two of them ran in silence for a long time, following the path and stopping only occasionally to check for the barrier with rocks. It was always around the trees, forcing them to stay on the outlined path, and they never came to another fork. The path was just long and dark and never-ending, and after about ten minutes of solid running, Harry felt a stitch growing in his side. Finally, he was forced to stop, gasping for breath and rubbing at the spot. Ginny paused next to him, panting heavily. She wiped sweat from her forehead and looked up at the sky, which was still covered with murky grey stormclouds.

"Hate... Riddle..." she managed to get out.

"Me... too..." Harry answered, straightening as the pain disappeared. He took a slow, deep breath and glanced around. More of the same, and it was starting to drive him crazy. "What do you think?"

"I feel like we're not getting anywhere," she said, scowling. "It's like no matter how far we run, we're standing in one place."

Suddenly suspicious, Harry frowned. "Are there spells that could do that?"

Ginny blinked and rubbed her nose, looking thoughtful. "Well, yes, I suppose. I've never heard of any... but there are spells for practically everything else, so I don't see why not. You think Riddle cast a spell on this place to make us think that we're progressing when we aren't?"

"I think it's worth a shot. Let's try canceling it together. On three, alright? One, two..."

"_Finite Incantatem_!" Harry and Ginny chorused.

The whole world seemed to tremble around them, and then, with a sound like shattered glass, the dirt path and the trees disappeared, revealing that they were actually in a graveyard, with the forest several feet behind them. Ginny jumped when she saw the graves and Harry swore, knowing that this was Riddle's idea of a joke. No wonder they hadn't been getting anywhere; the two of them would have kept going until Riddle himself put an end to it. His eyes settled on a dark-robed figure was lounging against a burial stone just a few feet ahead, and immediately he held up his wand stepped protectively in front of Ginny as Bellatrix LeStrange gave a luxurious stretch and smiled, her eyes glinting.

"I see ickle baby Potter finally found the answer," she cooed. "My lord thought that you would."

"Bellatrix," Ginny hissed. She grabbed Harry's arm before he could cast a spell. "Harry – "

"No," he said, cutting her off. "No way, Gin. I am not leaving you here with _her_."

"You have to," said Ginny. "It's okay. I can do this. You go on to Riddle."

"But..." Harry hated the thought of leaving here there. Bellatrix, for all of her insanity, was an extremely powerful witch who could easily kill Ginny. He looked down into her golden eyes and thought to himself that she had never looked more beautiful. His heart swelled and he gently cupped her cheek. "Ginny, I..."

"Shh." Ginny placed her fingers over his lips and smiled sadly. "Tell me back at Hogwarts, okay?"

Harry smiled in return and kissed her fingers before pulling her hands away and taking her into his arms. He kissed her again, this time on the mouth, trying to pour all of his love and desire to protect her into the kiss. "Alright. I'm going to hold you to that."

"Please do," she said. "Now, go."

"I don't think so._ Crucio_!" Bellatrix shouted.

"_Stupefy_!" Ginny yelled at the same time.

With Bellatrix distracted by dodging the curse, Harry took the chance to sprint past her. She screamed with rage but he ignored her, aiming for the heart of the graveyard, where he knew that Riddle would be waiting for their duel to begin. Help might have been coming, but there was no way that Harry could stick around and wait for it to arrive. Behind him, his friends were locked into their own battles, and who knew how long they could hold out? Ahead of him, the biggest battle of life was waiting, and he was prepared to answer the call. Harry growled low in his throat and picked up the pace. He was ready to end this.

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Please review!

My next story, so far untitled, will be H/G, and involves the following: _While under the imperius curse, Ron destroys all bonds between the Potter and Weasley family forever. Within a matter of weeks, the Weasleys and Potters will grow to hate each other with a loathing matched only between that of the Weasleys and the Malfoys. Unable to stop the process, Ginny has one choice to make and little time to make it in – she can disown herself and keep loving Harry from afar, or grow to hate him against her will._ What do you all think? Does this sound like a story you'd be interested in?


	19. Chapter 19

**A/N:** Ah, the last chapter of this story. Hard to believe it's finally here! There will be an epilogue, though, so we're not quite through yet. For all those who are curious, I did a bit of research before creating Harry's new wand. Thanks to Living Arts , which tells me that the cherry tree means death and rebirth and new awakenings, and the oak is the mightiest of trees and symbolizes strength and courage. I felt that both were quite fitting for Harry in this instance. Enjoy!

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As it turned out, the closer he got to the heart of the place, the more that he realized that this graveyard was every bit as creepy and disturbing as the one in his fourth year. Surrounded by a forest filled with dead trees, with a heavy mist that crept up around his ankles and knees, preventing him from watching where he was going, and so little lighting that his eyes strained to make out where he was going, Harry couldn't help feeling spooked. The ground was littered with bones, and he couldn't take a single step without a loud cracking sound following him. There was no doubt in his mind that Riddle would know the exact direction he was coming from and likely had planned it that way, but Harry pressed on, refusing to be completely psyched out by the atmosphere. He had one goal in mind, and that meant that one of them, be it he or Riddle, was not leaving the graveyard alive. This place was a fitting spot for a madman to die.

He came to a stop when he was able to make out the black-cloaked figure seated grandly in a throne transfigured from bones, fresh dirt, and burial stones. Riddle appeared to be completely involved in gently stroking the head of a little green snake. It was only when the snake lifted its head and hissed a warning that Riddle glanced up, seemingly amused to see that Harry was standing not ten feet away from him, and hissed an order for the snake to find a hiding spot and wait for the battle to end. The little snake obeyed, slithering down Riddle's leg and disappearing into the mist. Harry watched it to go with narrowed eyes, recalling Riddle's comment about having made a Horcrux. Surely the man would not be smug enough to actually bring his Horcrux to the fight... would he?

"_Serpensortia_!" Harry muttered, noting that Riddle had tensed when Harry brought his wand up. Interesting. A fairly good-sized black snake flew from the end of his wand and landed on the ground. He watched it vanish beneath the mist and wondered if Riddle had actually caught sight of the snake. "_Find that green snake and destroy it_," he ordered, voice soft enough that the enemy was unable to hear. The snake hissed an agreement and began to stalk its prey.

"Good evening, Potter," Riddle said, seemingly unconcerned by the spell that Harry had cast. "I'm pleased to see that your foolish Gryffindor sensibilities are still in working order, seeing as you came to meet me alone."

"I'd rather be a foolish Gryffindor than someone like you," said Harry pleasantly, wondering how much time had passed since he and his friends had left the safety of Hogwarts. Surely, help had to be on the way by now? "I don't even want to know what life must be like when you're a twisted bastard."

Riddle smiled and idly twirled his yew wand in his hands. "Trying to rile me up? How amusing. I'm almost ashamed to be duelling with someone who uses such simple tactics. Let me assure you that no one will be coming to help you, boy. Your friends are likely dead by now, tortured to death at the hands of my most loyal Death Eaters." A smirk lit his face when Harry couldn't keep himself from flinching at the comment. "It's a true pity. If it weren't for you, all five of them would still be alive. I had no interest in most of them."

"Shut up!" Harry snapped, clenching his fists around his wand. It wasn't the holly and phoenix feather wand that he was so used to, nor the Slytherin wand he'd never really had the chance to use, but this wand – one of Ollivander's best creations, according to the man – sang to him in a way that no other wand ever had. His magic shivered whenever he touched it, and casting spells with it was a true pleasure. Made with a combination of oak and cherry wood, the core was a single strand of unicorn tail hair tied around a phoenix feather, creating a loyal, powerful wand that responded to Harry's every command, and he knew that now was time to test it. Hoping to catch the man by surprise, Harry lifted his wand and shouted, "_Expelliarmus_!"

"_Protego_!" Riddle waved his wand in a lazy manner, forming a weak shield that caused the Disarming Spell to bounce off harmlessly. He smirked, crimson eyes flashing with amusement. "You are quite correct, boy. It_ is_ time to begin, is it not? As I recall, you won your last battle against Lord Voldemort in the graveyard through sheer luck with the help of that blasted connection. Rest assured that won't be happening again; six years ago I had that holly wand of yours stolen. I snapped it myself and made sure to burn the pieces. Your parents can't save you this time. _Crucio_!"

Instinct kicked in, and Harry threw himself to the side, knowing that no shield charm he could produce would block a Cruciatus curse from a wizard as powerful as Tom Riddle. He hit the ground hard and continued to roll, just barely keeping ahead of the curses and hexes that were being hurtled in his direction. Only when he was completely hidden by a gravestone and the mist did he stop for a moment, trying to breathe quietly. His side ached fiercely from where he'd rolled over a particularly large rock, but that was the least of his worries. Riddle was laughing, and that was _never_ a good sign. Tensing, Harry clutched his wand tighter and tried to think. In all of his fantasies of getting rid of the dark lord, how he was going to do it had never really factored into the equation.

"You Gryffindors are so amusing," Riddle observed. "But I grow tired of this game. _Avada Kedavra_!"

Green light illuminated the mist briefly, and Harry heard the snake he'd conjured give a brief, surprised hiss before all went silent, and Riddle cursed softly, obviously realizing he'd missed his real target. Struggling to remain calm and doing his best not to think about the fact that it could have just easily been him, Harry scooted along the ground, keeping as low as possible, and thought about his arsenal of spells. Most of what he knew wouldn't really be all that helpful, but damn it if he was going to take this lying down. He popped up suddenly and shouted, "_Impedimenta_!"

Riddle was blasted off of his feet, landing several feet away with a pained grunt. For a moment, he remained still, and Harry wondered if he'd knocked the man out. Then Riddle began to laugh, a horrible, grating sound that made Harry cringe as he watched Riddle rise to his feet. Crimson eyes glittered as Riddle reached into his pocket and drew out a second wand. Harry's eyes widened when he realized that Riddle held his Slytherin wand. Before he had the chance to react, Riddle called out a curse that he didn't recognize. A bolt of yellow light leapt from the yew wand and struck him in the chest with such force that all of the breath was forced from his lungs, and he doubled over as blood began to stain his shirt and hands.

"Such a fine wand," said Riddle, apparently oblivious to Harry's pained cry. He motioned with the Slytherin wand, leaving behind a trailing path of pale green light. "So… unsuitable… for a Gryffindor like yourself."

"Says you," Harry answered hoarsely, clutching at his chest. The pain was incredible, rolling in waves all over his whole body, and he had to force himself to focus. "The sorting hat… nearly put me into Slytherin… Only, I'd already met the Draco Malfoy of my world… and that was more than enough to deter me."

"Malfoy always was an idiot. I suppose his little brat was the same."

"_Expelliarmus_!" he roared, aiming for the Slytherin wand while Riddle's attention was elsewhere. The spell struck Riddle's left hand and spun him around, causing him to lose his grip on the wand. Harry seized his chance and Summoned the Slytherin wand, catching it easily. Both wands shivered in his grip, and a low humming sound filled his ears. Gradually, the intense pain from his chest began to numb as warmth spread through his body. He closed his eyes, listening to the wands instead of Riddle's cursing. Was the Slytherin wand... _hissing_? It wanted to feed... it wanted a life... and it told him exactly where to aim in order to get it.

"_Avada Kedavra_!" Harry cried, pointing the Slytherin wand. A jagged bolt of brilliant green light leapt from the end of it and pierced the mist. There was a dreadful sound as the mist parted, revealing the little green snake that Riddle had set free. The creature writhed on the ground, convulsing in pain, as a strange green liquid oozed over it. Dark smoke rose into the air as the snake was completely consumed by the killing curse. Pain flared briefly in Harry's chest, and he gasped for breath as the connection between he and Lord Voldemort was destroyed forever.

At that moment, Riddle began to scream, as though _he_ had been the one struck by the curse. His wand fell from his fingers as he jerked around, clutching at his chest in agony. In a flash, Harry understood. The snake had indeed been a Horcrux, but apparently it held not just Voldemort's soul, but a part of Riddle's as well. Somehow or another, his Slytherin wand had helped him to cast a Killing curse strong enough to defeat it. Riddle had been undone by the very thing which had brought around his downfall before: his own sense of pride. If he had only destroyed the Slytherin wand instead of keeping it with the hope of tormenting Harry, this battle would likely have been his triumph.

"It's time to end this, Riddle," said Harry coldly, narrowing his eyes. "I'm tired of you threatening my friends and family. I won't let it happen anymore, do you understand me? _Avada Kedavra_!"

For the second time that night, Harry used the killing curse. The poisonous green jet of light leapt free of his oak-and-cherry wand and went straight for Riddle, who had no time to move. Riddle's eyes widened in shocked disbelief as the curse slammed straight into his chest. Slowly, the crimson light drained from his eyes as he slumped silently to the ground. Harry Summoned the yew wand from the limp hands and stuck it into his back pocket, then walked over to Riddle hesitantly, half expecting the man to jump up. Just for good measure, he cast a couple more killing curses, but the prone body never moved.

It was over, Harry realized, sitting down hard on the ground. Tom Riddle was dead, and so Lord Voldemort and his evil would never come to pass. He wasn't sure how long he sat there, staring down at the man who had planned to killed so many and hurt even more, but he knew that some time had passed before he began to hear frantic voices calling his name. Harry didn't respond; he didn't have to. At that moment, a Patronus that looked remarkably like Padfoot burst through the mist and trotted around Harry triumphantly. Minutes later it was followed by the real Padfoot, who transformed back into Sirius; he promptly threw himself on his godson.

"Harry, my god. We've been worried sick about you. Are you..." All words died on Sirius' lips when he caught sight of Tom Riddle's body. His jaw dropped and he stared. "Harry..."

"I did it," Harry said with a crooked smile, looking up at his godfather. "He's really dead."

Sirius looked completely flummoxed. "You... How... Harry... What..."

"Harry!"

Hearing the familiar voice, Harry gently but firmly pulled out of Sirius' slack grip and ran back through the cemetery towards the forest, leaving Sirius to deal with the body. His chest ached as he moved, but he ignored the pain. There was only one thing he wanted to do right then, and it was worth it. She called out again, and a moment later he saw her and a crowd racing towards him. Even though his parents and Remus were there, he had eyes for only one person. Harry stopped short and held his arms open, allowing her to run into him at full tilt. He spun her around exuberantly, enjoying the way she laughed and threw her arms around his neck.

"We did it!" he shouted, only placing her back on the ground when he became aware of the terrible strain in his arms and chest. "He's dead, Gin. He's really _dead_ this time."

"I'm so proud of you," Ginny said, her golden eyes sparkling with tears. "Oh Harry, I wish I'd been there with you."

He cupped her cheek, relishing in the feel of her soft skin, only vaguely aware of the witches and wizards clustered around them, or of Sirius, who was approaching with Riddle's body in tow. "It was my fight," he said quietly. "Even though there was no prophecy here... I think it still had to be me."

Ginny nodded and gave him a warm smile. "I understand."

Harry thought that his heart might burst. It was impossible to keep what he felt inside any longer. "Look, I know you wanted me to wait until we were back at Hogwarts, and this may not be the most romantic setting, but I don't think I can." He took a deep breath and smiled. "I love you, Ginny Weasley."

"I love you, too, Harry Potter," she said, tears sliding down her cheeks. "I love you."

Nothing could ever describe how Harry felt when she said those words back to her. It was like an explosion of light filled him, erasing the last of the dark taint. Disregarding their curious and shocked audience, he took her into his arms and kissed her again and again, until they were both laughing from excitement and happiness and couldn't stop. A heavy cloud had been lifted from their shoulders, and looking into Ginny's eyes, he knew he would remember this moment forever.

"Harry," Dumbledore's voice broke in. "As much as I hate to interrupt, I must ask you something."

"Headmaster," Harry glanced up at the man, "I'm sorry for leaving after I promised not to do anything rash, but I..."

"It's not that, Harry. I can understand your frustration and desire to act," said Dumbledore, blue eyes twinkling. "My question is about the nature of the events that occurred tonight. How exactly did you defeat Tom Riddle?"

"He had a Horcrux and I destroyed it," Harry said, keeping his arms around Ginny. Later on, he would go into more detail, but not at that moment. "Then I cast the killing curse at him."

"How did you destroy his Horcrux?" Dumbledore asked.

"With my wand." Releasing his girlfriend, Harry removed the Slytherin wand from his pocket and showed it to the headmaster. "When Ollivander told us that it would take a month or more to make my wand, Ginny, Hermione and Draco decided that they didn't think it was safe for me to be without one. Draco took me to this brilliant shop in Knockturn Alley that had unusual wands for sale. I ended up with this one."

Dumbledore smiled, making no move to take the wand. "I see. Do you remember what the core was made of?"

Harry nodded. "Basilisk tooth and venom." He glanced down at the wand speculatively. "Now that I think about it that makes sense. While I was fighting with Riddle, the wand was hissing at me and telling me that it wanted to take a life."

Lily Potter looked horrified by this announcement, but Dumbledore merely chuckled. "I had thought as much," he said. "Basilisk venom is one of the only things that can destroy a Horcrux. But I suppose that the killing curse cast with a wand that has a core of the venom would work just as well. You and your friends have done well tonight, Harry, in saving the world from a monster that it never had the chance to know. Be proud of yourself."

"I am," Harry said quietly, temporarily subdued. Dumbledore's words had reminded him that all of the people that should have been there to see Voldemort's demise, the ones from his world who had fought for it, weren't. But if the timeline hadn't changed, would they have ever come to this point? A hand touched his arm, and he looked down into Ginny's eyes. She tilted her head to rest against his shoulders, her eyes filled with sympathy, and he knew that she knew exactly what he was thinking. Wrapping an arm around her shoulders, he kissed her forehead, eternally grateful that she was with him. "Sir? How are Ron and Lia and Draco and Hermione?"

"They are all well, Harry, with minor injuries. Fortunately help was able to arrive before they were completely overwhelmed, and all four of them have been taken back to Hogwarts. Miss Weasley refused to leave until she had seen how you had fared," Dumbledore answered. "Now that we have seen to your safety, I strongly suggest that the two of you make a trip to the Hospital Wing so that we can be sure you're in good health."

"Alright," he agreed, casting one more glance at Riddle's body. It hung in the air courtesy of Sirius' spell, looking incapable of the kind of atrocities Riddle had committed. He nearly asked what Dumbledore planned to do with it, but at the last minute, he changed his mind. As long as Riddle was well and truly dead, he didn't really care. Ginny and his family were with him, his friends were safe, and the world would finally be free. That was all that mattered.

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Please review! If you like this story, I urge you to check out the new H/G story that I've posted today. It's called _Nothing In Return_ and should be loads of (angsty) fun!


	20. Epilogue

**A/N:** So this is it, the very last chapter. It's hard to believe that this story is finally done, but I'm glad that it is – juggling four fics a week is a bit much, even for me. I know that some people were disappointed with the fact that I didn't focus more on Harry and his family, but that wasn't really the story I was intending to tell. This was, first and foremost, a love story between Harry and Ginny. With that said, I hope that you enjoy the epilogue!

/Mental Speech/

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Harry Potter was waiting less than patiently in the little side room off of the Great Hall, where – in another world – he had once been taken to discuss whether or not he would participate in the Triwizard Tournament. Shaking his head, he peeked through half-open door and swallowed hard when he saw the tables of children waiting for the Sorting to be over. Harry had wanted to be Sorted in private, but the headmaster had decided that after the first years were finished, he would be Sorted in front of the whole school. The very notion of going through that all over again made him feel sick to his stomach and he took a deep breath, letting it out slowly.

After the death of Riddle, the summer had gone by far too quickly. Lily and James had taken their children on a family vacation across Europe, and it had given Harry some much needed time to bond with his parents and siblings. While they were out of the country, Dumbledore made arrangements with all the right people to make sure that the majority of Riddle's evil plans came out into the open. The wizarding world had been shocked by the news that Tom Riddle, beloved Hogwarts professor and political activist, had been a future dark lord who had been plotting in secret for years. How exactly the man had died remained a secret, with most of the population believing that Riddle and Dumbledore had come to blows over the discovery. The Death Eaters who had helped had been helping Riddle had recently been sentenced to Azkaban for the rest of their lives.

Just like he always did when he thought about Tom Riddle, Harry unconsciously stroked the slender yew wand that he carried with him all the time. The fact that he'd literally gotten away with murder didn't exactly sit right with him, even if the victim had been a psychotic wannabe dark lord. It had been disturbingly easy to cast the killing curse that night, and that was something that haunted him even now. He had taken to keeping Tom Riddle's wand with him as a constant reminder of what he had done, but slowly, with the help of some long talks with his father, he was coming to terms with the guilt he felt. James had proved to be an excellent and encouraging listener, and for the first time since his peek into Snape's pensieve, he felt proud to be James Potter's son.

As though he'd heard Harry's thoughts, James glanced in his direction. The older man grinned when he spotted Harry peeking through the door and winked in his direction. Harry smiled a little, comforted by the sight of his parents, the twins, Remus, and Sirius sitting at the head table with the rest of the professors. Because the twins were so young, they ate meals with their parents at the head table instead of sitting with the rest of the students. Knowing that he would not be separated from his family had made the return to Hogwarts a great deal easier for Harry, even if he would have to sleep in the dormitories. He nudged the door open a little more so that he could see the Gryffindor table.

Lia, Ron, Ginny, and Hermione sat in a close cluster at the end of the table. Ginny was watching the Sorting with a bored expression on her face. Ron had his arm around Lia's shoulders, and Hermione kept shooting them small, smug grins. The two of them had taken to exchanging letters that summer, and apparently they'd become even closer than Harry had anticipated, much to Hermione's relief. She was nothing short of thrilled that Ron was no longer interested in her. He watched as she twisted around and waved in the direction of the Slytherin table. Draco was too composed to wave back, but Harry couldn't help noticing that the blonds' eyes brightened with Hermione's acknowledgement.

"Thank you, Professor McGonagall," Professor Dumbledore said as the Sorting of the first years finished. Harry jerked to attention, his eyes darting back to the head table as the elderly man stood up. "This year, we have one additional, sixth year student to Sort. It is my great pleasure to introduce you all to Harry Potter."

Thunderous applause made Harry blush as he stepped out from behind the door. He was pretty certain that he heard James and Sirius whistling, and shot a murderous glance towards the two of them as he walked over to where Professor McGonagall was waiting. She graced him with a comforting smile as she motioned for him to take a seat. Harry perched on the stool and allowed her to drop the Sorting Hat on top his head. Unlike when he was a first year, the hat fit him comfortably instead of dropping down over his eyes.

/Well, well, well... Hello again, Mr Potter./

"Again? You've never Sorted me before," Harry muttered back. This time, he would not ask the hat for a specific house. He had promised Lily that he would allow the hat to put him wherever it desired.

A chuckling sound reverberated through his mind. /_I_ haven't, but my counterpart did, and that is surely close enough. Hmm, let me see here... Yes, it is as I expected. Like most children, you fit the criteria for all of the houses, Mr Potter. It is simply a matter of which house will suit you best and fulfill your needs for the next two years. Your desire to prove yourself was what made me believe that you would be a worthy candidate for Slytherin, and I maintain that you would have done well there. But having seen your memories, and knowing what lies in your future, I can safely say that I made the best choice the first time around. You'll be in.../

"GRYFFINDOR!"

If Harry had thought the applause was loud before, it was nothing compared to what happened when the hat made its decision, as the Gryffindor table practically exploded. Sirius and James were whooping and even Lily and Remus were cheering loudly. Harry grinned at them as he handed the hat back to Professor McGonagall and walked towards the Gryffindor table. Hermione threw her arms around him in a quick embrace and the twins made a big show of shaking his hand. Lia kissed his cheek and Ron patted him on the back before he was able to sit down beside Ginny, who smiled at him, her eyes sparkling. He winked at her, relieved that he'd been put back where he belonged.

"Now that the Sorting is truly finished, I'd like to invite you all to tuck in," said the headmaster.

A veritable feast appeared on the tables as he spoke. Ron gave a yelp of joy and grabbed a slab of bread, which he shoved into his mouth as he began hastily filling his plate with food. Hermione rolled her eyes and scolded him for his lack of table manners as Lia giggled and poured pumpkin juice into everyone's goblets. As everyone around him began devouring the delicious meal that the House Elves had provided, Harry found himself fiddling with the yew wand again instead of eating.

"What's wrong? Aren't you hungry?" Ginny asked him.

"I was just thinking, that's all," said Harry, looking up at the ceiling. The sun hadn't completely gone down yet, which meant the sky was in that odd stage between dusk and night. Just visible through the pinks and oranges and yellows of the setting sun were the twinkling stars. "I really am sorry about your family, Gin."

Ginny sighed and set her fork down on her plate. While Harry had been off having fun with his family for the first time ever, she had been struggling with acquainting herself with hers. That had been more difficult than she had originally anticipated. It was the little things that got to her, like the way their family no longer had to worry about money, or how her mother didn't seem to be quite as concerned with keeping track of her children, or the very different job that her father had. She hadn't realized just how hard it would be. They were virtual strangers with familiar faces to her, and they, in turn, were bewildered with how "strange" that she had been acting. Having Ron there as a buffer had helped a little, but even her brother could only do so much.

"I know you are," she said gently. "But there's nothing you can do about it, so I wish that you would stop dwelling on it, Harry. You have enough to worry about."

Harry just shrugged and picked up his goblet of juice, effectively ending the conversation. The truth was, he desperately wished that there was something he could do for his girlfriend, but what? Erasing her memories of the old world wouldn't do anything about the memories that she was lacking from this world, and aside from that, Ginny would murder him on the spot if she ever found out he'd contemplated such an act. This was one of those annoying situations where there wasn't a good solution, and he didn't like it.

"See? Look there, Sirius is giving up his galleon," Lia said suddenly, interrupting his thoughts. She pointed towards the head table, where a pouting Sirius was reluctantly fishing a large golden coin out of his pocket. "He was so convinced that you'd be a Gryffindor that he bet Remus you'd only have less than ten seconds under the Sorting Hat."

"And how long was I under there?" Harry asked.

"About thirty seconds," Hermione said, dipping her spoon into her soup. She was smiling. "Professor Lupin knew that you would be a Gryffindor, too, but the Sorting Hat almost _always _takes longer than ten seconds. You'd think that after all this time, he would know better than to make bets against Professor Lupin."

"Sirius will never learn." Lia shook her head. "Hey Harry, did Professor Dumbledore figure out what's going to happen with your O.?"

"I'm going to re-do them at the end of the year with you guys instead of taking my sixth year exams," Harry answered. "He said he talked it over with Mum and Dad, and they decided that they wanted to make sure I had time to get adjusted and caught up on everything. I'm fine with that. It just means one less set of exams, and even though I never got my results, I'm pretty sure I did fairly well on them the first time around." He shrugged, trying to hide how nervous the thought of taking his O. a second time made him.

"So I guess this means you're stuck with Divination for another year?" Ginny said.

"Nope," he said, grinning broadly. "Mum helped me to figure out my schedule. She told me to look at it as though I had already taken and passed my O., so I'm not going to bother with it. I'm taking Transfigurations, Charms, Herbology, Potions, Defence Against the Dark Arts, and Care of Magical Creatures. That will give me a good basis for anything I might want to do in the future."

Ginny's lips twitched. "You mean you _don't_ want another year of being told you're going to die soon?"

"I know, what was I thinking?" Harry said, rolling his eyes. He'd never quite gotten over the fact that it was Trelawney who had made two prophecies that nearly ruined his life. "I don't even want to know who the Divination teacher is in this world. I've had more than enough of that subject to last me a lifetime."

As the meal continued, the small group chatted amongst themselves. Harry ate sparingly and finished the meal off with a large piece of treacle tart. Professor Dumbledore stood up once everyone was finished and gave the closing speech, warning students to stay away from the Forbidden Forest and giving another greeting to Professor Dawn Emerys, who was the replacement Arithmancy professor, before releasing the students. A tall, slender woman Harry didn't recognize emerged from the same door that he'd come through earlier and collected his younger brother and sister, who waved to him. He waved back as he stood up and made his way towards the head table.

"Harry, my boy! I knew you'd be a Gryffindor!" Sirius crowed, grabbing him in a headlock.

"Actually, he's _my_ boy," James said, aiming a Stinging Hex at Sirius' arse. The man yelped and released Harry, who ducked away laughing. "Sorry, Padfoot. You'll have to create your own."

Professor McGonagall choked on the tea she was drinking. "James Potter, do _not_ give him any ideas!"

"Don't worry, Minerva," Lily said, giving her husband a look. "If Sirius ever gets any woman pregnant, I'll be sure to give you the full nine months warning so you can move to the other side of the planet."

Sirius muttered something under his breath about paying Arabella to pretend that she was pregnant, but he was silenced by the strength of Lily's glare. Professor McGonagall, who seemed severely shaken by the idea of contending with a new generation of Potters _and_ Blacks at the same time, stood up and allowed herself to be ushered away by the headmaster. If his twinkling eyes were any indication, Professor Dumbledore didn't seem to think that more Blacks would be a bad idea, but he had the good sense to remain quiet.

"Honestly, Sirius, you're going to give the poor woman a heart attack," Lily said once the two professors had left the hall.

"It's going to happen sooner or later. Reg and I have to pass on the Black name. She'd best get used to the idea," Sirius told her, smirking. "We'll have to have babies at the same time, Jamie-boy."

"Stop _calling_ me that!"

As the two of them began to bicker, Remus rolled his eyes and put a hand on Harry's shoulder. "Congratulations on getting into Gryffindor, Harry," he said warmly.

"Thanks," Harry said, grinning as Lily finally interrupted the fight and began scolding Sirius and James.

"Honestly, you two. With the example that you set for the students, it's a wonder anything ever gets done," she said, hands on her hips. "I swear, I feel like I'm married to three children sometimes rather than just one."

"Hey!" James protested. "I'm not a child. Neither is Remus. It's this big kid here who causes all the trouble!"

"But you got the best of all three worlds, my dear," said Sirius, ignoring James and slinging an arm around her shoulders. "Would you like to see who is best in bed, Lily-bear?"

Lily pretended to consider this as both Harry and James choked. "That _is_ a tempting offer."

"Lily!" James whined.

"Alright, I'm officially weirded out," said Harry. "I'm going to the common room before Sirius scars me for life."

"You mean I haven't yet?" Sirius asked innocently. "Obviously we haven't been spending enough time together, pup. We'll have to remedy that. What do you say you ditch your homework tomorrow night and we sneak out to Hogsmeade?"

"Stop corrupting my son, Black," Lily ordered, coming over to give her son a warm hug. She kissed him on the forehead. "Say good-night to your sister for me, Harry. Have a good sleep."

"Good-night, Mum." He gave Remus and James a hug, and protested when Sirius – under the pretence of a hug – tried to catch him in another headlock. His Seeker reflexes served him well and he dodged under his laughing godfather and ran towards the Hall doors. "Nice try, old man!"

"Old!" Sirius squawked, looking genuinely offended. "Get back here, you little..."

Harry smirked and walked through the doors, leaving his family behind. He found Ginny leaning against the wall waiting for him and headed over to her. "You could have come in, you know."

"I know," she said. "But I was okay here. Ron convinced Lia to make a quick run to the kitchens for something to snack on, even though we all just had a massive dinner. Hermione went to go track down Draco and see if she could talk him into come back to the common room with her. So I thought I'd wait for you and we could walk back together."

"Thanks," he said, reaching for her hand and lacing their fingers together. The two of them walked down the corridor in silence, heading towards Gryffindor Tower. Harry knew that as soon as his Sorting was finished, house elf magic would have transported his trunk into the sixth year boy's dormitory, where an extra bed would have popped up. He was looking forward to sleeping in a familiar place. "Are you nervous about classes starting?"

Ginny shrugged. "Not really. At least I don't have to write my O. twice," she said impishly.

"Cute," Harry said, looking down at her. She grinned up at him, her eyes twinkling with mischief, and he stopped suddenly. Ginny looked back at him in confusion when their joined hands forced her to pause as well.

"What's up?" she asked.

He stepped forward, leaning over her, and lifted his free hand so that he could tangle his fingers into her hair. God he loved the fiery softness of Ginny's hair. "I love you, Ginny."

Her face softened, and she smiled lovingly. "I love you too, Harry."

Every time she said those words, it was like a little firecracker of joy went off inside of him. Harry leaned down a little more and kissed her, releasing her hand so that he could place an arm around her waist and pull her flush against him. Ginny responded to the kiss happily, wrapping her arms around his neck and levering herself up a bit. Eventually, they had to stop for lack of air, but Harry didn't move away. He rested his forehead against Ginny's and just stood there, gazing into her eyes, and realized that he had never been happier than he was right then. For once, fate had worked out in Harry Potter's favour, and he fully intended to enjoy every minute of it.

_The End_

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